Students need education not testing on drugs

Would drug testing have saved the life of the 18-year-old Lake Zurich man who died of a heroin overdose? Probably not. Despite a short-lived high, marijuana is the only illegal drug that stays in the human body long enough to make urinalysis a deterrent. This is one of the reasons the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes student drug testing. Marijuana’s organic metabolites are fat-soluble and can linger for days. More dangerous opioid narcotics and synthetic drugs like methamphetamine are water-soluble and exit the body quickly. If you think students don’t know this, think again. Anyone capable of running an Internet search can find out how to thwart a drug test. The most commonly abused drug and the one most closely associated with violent behavior is almost impossible to detect with urinalysis. That drug is alcohol, and it takes far more student lives each year than all illegal drugs combined. Instead of wasting money on counterproductive drug tests, schools should invest in reality-based drug education.

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.