Las Vegas Now'Drug Czar' Makes Pitch for Random Drug Testing in Schools

'Drug Czar' Makes Pitch for Random Drug Testing in Schools

The federal government thinks the best way to prevent illegal drug abuse among children is to drug test them.

Deputy Director Bertha Madras, of the Demand Reduction White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, wants schools to randomly drug test students. She made the pitch in front of educators at Cashman Center. No school system in Nevada currently drug tests students.

Tuesday, 115 educators from school systems across the state listened to the pitch for random drug testing of students. So far, Clark County is not planning on drug testing the kids.

The government, though, came armed with statistics. Deputy "Drug Czar" Bertha Madras pointed to recent studies that show more than double the amount of teens who did not experiment with drugs graduated college than those with casual use.

Madras also says non-drug using teens get better grades and are more likely not to steal when older. She believes the way to make more teens avoid drugs is to randomly drug test them.

Dr. Madras said, "It gives students an excuse to resist peer pressure and a lot of students told me that was a very effective way of resisting."

Jennifer Kern, with the Drug Policy Alliance, said, "It may motivate some drug-involved students to switch to harder drugs because they leave the system more quickly. You can actually enflame rebellion."

Kern wants to keep kids away from drugs, but opposes random drug testing. She says scare tactics usually backfire on teens. Kern emphasized they need an honest dialogue in a supportive environment and drug testing will push more kids away rather than engaging them.

In Nevada, 14,000 young people ages 12 to 17 are currently in treatment programs for drug abuse.

Email your comments to Reporter Edward Lawrence.