Drug Testing Debate

Recently, Jennifer Kern, a research associate with the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) debated and decisively defeated Dr. Bertha Madras, the deputy director of Demand Reduction in the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on the pages of Newsweek. The topic concerned the government’s efforts to expand the drug testing of students in our nation’s schools. When asked what message the tests sent to the students the bureaucrat responded with the ridiculous assertion that the kids love it, while Kern correctly pointed out that, “They are undermining the very protective factors that are shown to keep people out of trouble with drugs. For instance, [there are] concerns that the testing breaks down relationships of trust between students and adults at school, hinders open communication and contributes to a hostile school environment and it risks deterring students from extracurricular activities.”

Cross posted on The Trebach Report