Drug Testing

DRUG TESTING

Let's face it...red ribbons and "Say no to drugs" stickers just aren't cutting it. It's time for more drastic measures. The time has come for common sense to cast its shadow over the pettiness spawned by "we have the right" protestors in every corner of South African society.
Imposing mandatory drug testing in all schools would be a major step forward in our nation's mission to beat drugs. As drug use among adolescents and teens continues to soar in a world of absentee parents, random school shootings and growing gang violence, who could reasonably argue against such testing? In a world where primary school children have been caught with illegal drugs, who would argue? After all, we are talking about children and their safety.
Random drug testing is permitted at all public schools in South Africa, following implementation of the Education Amendment Laws Act, which took place in the beginning of 2008.

This has been a long time coming. In October 2006, Education Minister Naledi Pandor spoke to the National Assembly a day after an 18-year-old pupil was stabbed at Johannesburg’s Forest High School by a 14-year-old from the same school. The minister said that random drug testing could be a solution to the behavioral crisis in schools.

The fact is, we do not know how many of the behavioral issues are related to the use of drugs, but we do know that drug abuse amongst children between the ages of 9 and 25 is a growing problem.

There is so much controversy-surrounding drug testing at schools.

Drug testing in schools should not be used as a tool used to ‘catch scholars out’, but rather to prevent them from ever using drugs, as it is much harder for them to break their addiction. Peer pressure is a major cause for kids trying drugs. If the scholars were aware that the school is not going to tolerate any form of substance abuse and the scholar could stand the chance of not being selected for the sport’s team, for example, they might hesitate...