by Mary Fonvielle

Created on: November 13, 2008

"Guilty until proven innocent" is the message our children would perceive if mandatory drug testing were to be imposed on students. Such a law being passed would be another step down the slippery slope of living in a world of suspicion and fear. Why not cut to the chase and give everyone a tattooed bar-code and embedded surveillance chip? I am sure everyone will understand that it is for the good of society. Not only is this a ridiculous notion and infringement upon personal rights to privacy, but it would also be an incredibly expensive law to uphold. School systems could spend their budgets on so much more productive and inspiring projects such as after-school activities that would help prevent the problem of drug abuse, rather than one that sends a negative message to students.

Instead of seeking ways to track down those "problem kids", why not focus on the root of the problem? Isolation and miscommunication between teenagers and the adult world leads to a need for self expression, which to some can mean use of illegal drugs. If you treat someone like an untrustworthy kid for long enough, then guess what? They become childish and untrustworthy. Amazing. Likewise, if we institute mandatory drug testing on students and therefore display that we expect them to be likely users...? I am sure I do not need to finish.

I remember in middle school the administrators wished to impose rules on bookbags; for about a month it seemed a rule would be passed that we could only carry those clear plastic bookbags that fall apart after a few uses. There was luckily a huge protest against the unpopular potential rule, and it was never made official. We as students were upset by the fact that we apparently could not be trusted with the luxury of privacy, so the contents of our bags should be made public for viewing. Thankfully, if this sort of rule could not be passed, I do not see much future for student body drug testing days.

Students go to school to learn, and what would mandatory drug tests teach? That the world does not believe in innocence or personal rights. This is not the sort of world in which I would want to live. Schools should focus on teaching awareness on drug abuse and its prevention, not immediate assumption and accusation. It has become too much of a hype to believe that a majority of students are irresponsible low life junkies; this just isn't true. The suspicion and miscommunication has to end somewhere, so why not start now before the government has more rights than humans? Trust has to work both ways.

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