forum 090611 - Should schools test pupils for drugs?

Should schools test pupils for drugs?

It has been reported that youth drug abuse is spreading rapidly.

There was the case concerning four girls at Rosaryhill School, in Stubbs Road, who were found to be high on drugs on June 2 ("Bureau to advise schools on drugs", June 8).

There has been some discussion about whether police are doing enough to deal with this problem. Also under debate is whether schools and social workers should be allowed to tackle minor cases before calling the police.

The media has reported that this problem has spread to privileged schools. I would question such labelling. Any suggestion that students who attend privileged schools would not be so easily tempted by drugs creates a false impression.

Perhaps there was a time when elite schools could more successfully shield their students from exposure to narcotics. But this is no longer possible in the internet age. This is a problem that affects all youths.

H. C. Bee, Kowloon Tong

People feel shocked when they read about the latest incident of youngsters abusing drugs. Actually, I think, there are quite a lot of these cases involving youngsters that the public never learns about.

Regarding whether schools should test pupils for drugs, I do think it would affect the relationship between the school and its students. What needs to be done is to increase resources to prevent the influx of drugs.

Our police and customs officials should take the lead. But schools and social workers also need to be responsive to pupils' needs.

I think the most important thing is to increase the punishment for drug-related offences, especially when someone is caught selling drugs to youngsters.

If heavier penalties are imposed, it will act as a deterrent. People will be more reluctant to sell or take drugs if they know they face a heavier punishment. It is up to our legislators to take the initiative here.

We can see this with drink-driving where tougher laws have proved effective.

R. Hau, Kowloon Bay

I am an undergraduate studying education and I am concerned about the drug abuse problems that have attracted a lot of media attention.

I think having schools test pupils for drugs is only a short-term solution. The idea has a number of shortcomings, such as the reliability of test results, their cost, and the labelling effect on students who submit to the tests.

Most of the students will feel offended by the drug-testing process. In those schools where there are confirmed cases of drug abuse, the school should take tough action, and suspend pupils where they feel it is necessary to do so.

Yuen Sung-ying, Sha Tin