Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: : Jennifer de Vallance (202) 395–6618
August 29, 2002

Drug Testing in Schools

(Washington, D.C.) - John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today released a new publication entitled What You Need to Know About Drug Testing in Schools. The publication is being released as millions of young people return to school, and is designed to assist educators, parents, and community leaders in determining whether student drug testing is appropriate for their schools.

"People at the local level best understand the nature and depth of the drug problems facing their neighborhoods," Walters said. "American communities should have the ability to use the best resources available to combat the problem of illegal drugs," he continued.

The 2001 Monitoring the Future Study indicates that by the time they graduate from high school, more than half of all young people have tried illegal drugs, and more than one in 20 are smoking marijuana on a daily basis. Research has shown that drug use among youth is particularly pernicious, and substantially increases the risk of drug and alcohol addiction later in life.

Director Walters said, "As a society, we simply cannot surrender our children to the harms caused by illegal drugs. Substance abuse is not a right of passage for young people; it is a dangerous behavior that can impede academic progress, lead to risky decision-making, and cause chemical changes in the brain that result in long-term physiological damage. Drug testing can be an important tool at a critical time in a young person's development for preventing drug use and getting help to those who need it. We are providing parents and educators with the means to determine if student drug testing is an appropriate response to the drug threat in their schools and communities."

In June of this year the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing drug testing for students who participate in competitive extracurricular activities or teams.