Peterson Introduces President's Student Drug Testing Initiative

PETERSON INTRODUCES PRESIDENT'S STUDENT DRUG TESTING INITIATIVE

Washington - U.S. Congressmen John Peterson (R-PA), Tom Osborne (R-NE) and Mark Souder (R-IN) introduced legislation this week to provide funding for schools to partner with parents and the community to reduce student drug use through random drug testing.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush asked Congress for a total of $25 million in grants for student drug testing, calling it a "tool to save children's lives." Peterson, a long-time supporter of drug testing, was joined by Osborne and Souder following the President's address to introduce legislation authorizing the additional funding under the Safe and Drug Free Schools program for school districts to develop and implement effective drug testing programs.
The Empowering Parents and Teachers for a Drug Free Education Act provides basic guidelines to ensure the accuracy of testing methods, confidentiality of test results and parental consent, but school districts will have the flexibility to implement a drug testing program that fits their community. The bill would also ensure that drug and alcohol prevention programs are available for students, parents and teachers, as well as assistance programs for students in need of treatment or counseling.

The bill prohibits the disclosure of test results to law enforcement, and requires that tests be kept strictly confidential and are destroyed when a student graduates or leaves school. The bill also ensures that parents are informed in detail about the program and have the option to withdraw their child from participating. Drug tests must be approved by the FDA and administered by a certified medical review officer. Modern testing methods increasingly use hair, saliva and even sweat samples to test for drugs.

According to Peterson, "Drugs like heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and cocaine are widely used and readily available-not just in big cities but in small towns and rural communities all across America. With the extreme potency of many of today's drugs, one or two bad decisions during the most vulnerable, formative period of a young life can lead to an unbreakable addiction and often death."

Peterson continued, "Drug testing was used in the military to reduce the once rampant drug problem, and is a way of life in the workplace. Drug testing is already being used in some schools to effectively reduce drug use because young people know that if they do drugs, they will get caught. By helping schools implement effective drug testing programs, we can give kids a reason to say no to drugs and give parents a report card that may help save their child's life."

According to Osborne, "The use of drugs is rapidly growing in rural communities across America, as many drugs are too easily accessible. Our nation desperately needs the tools to combat the overall negative impact of illicit drugs on our youth, communities, and way of life. As a former coach and educator, I have seen first hand that student drug testing can be used as a powerful preventive measure. For many youth, the possibility of being tested for drugs is reason enough to deter them from using drugs. Furthermore, student drug testing provides school officials and parents with the information needed to help students become drug free and prevent further drug use."

Congress and the President gave their stamp of approval to random drug testing in 2001 with the passage of the "No Child Left Behind Act," which gave schools the authority to use funding from the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program for drug testing programs. In 2002, the Supreme Court gave schools the authority to implement random drug testing programs for student participating in any extra-curricular activities.