“Drug tests in schools pass/fail?” is a lengthily and almost heroically researched first of a three part series based on local experiences. It is sub-headed “In public schools, only 36 positive readings out of more than 3,000. A deterrent? Or are pupils wise and alcohol is substance of choice?”

WATCHDOG: Two wags of the tail. Nevertheless, this dog hopes that the next part of the series will be less provincial, instead making use of the available volume of federally commissioned and peer reviewed published research on the subject.

The reporter can save himself a lot of work if he simply visits “Drug Testing”, a chapter from DrugWarFacts.org, which is a compilation of drug testing research.

For example:

“Researchers on a grant from NIDA found that school drug testing has no impact on student drug use. According to the researchers, “Does drug testing prevent or inhibit student drug use? Members of the Supreme Court appear to believe it does. However, among the eighth-, 10th-, and 12-grade students surveyed in this study, school drug testing was not associated with either the prevalence or the frequency of student marijuana use, or of other illicit drug use. Nor was drug testing of athletes associated with lower-than-average marijuana and other illicit drug use by high school male athletes. Even among those who identified themselves as fairly experienced marijuana users, drug testing also was not associated with either the prevalence or the frequency of marijuana or other illicit drug use.”

Source:

Yamaguchi, Ryoko, Lloyd D. Johnston & Patrick M. O’Malley, Relationship Between Student Illicit Drug Use and School Drug-Testing Policies,” Journal of School Health, April 2003, Vol. 73, No. 4, p. 164.
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/text/ryldjpom03.pdf