Schools, universities asked to stop drug tests

Schools, universities asked to stop drug tests

JAKARTA (JP): Doctors at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital
called on schools and universities on Thursday to stop subjecting
new students to drug tests which they say are either flawed or
too costly to be comprehensive.

In a symposium on the question of whether or not schools
should conduct drug tests on students, the doctors said a partial
drug test, such as a urine test, conducted by many schools in
Jakarta, could be misleading.

An active drug user could still pass the test, and conversely,
a non-user could fail the test and be declared a user, they said.

The only way to determine one's drug history is to take a
different test for each substance, namely: amphetamines, cocaine,
morphine and marijuana, they said, adding that it would be too
expensive.

Pathologist Diana Aulia said one test costs about Rp 40,000,
while thorough drug testing could cost as much as Rp 200,000.

"This would burden parents further as they also have to pay
tuition and admission fees," Diana said.

Zubairi Djoerban said that addictive substances usually left
the body three days after they were consumed.

A drug addict who takes a urine test after that period of time
would be declared drug-free, Zubairi said.

On the other hand, certain medications could cause a person to
be declared a drug user through a urine test. Diet pills often
use amphetamines and cough medicines usually contain methadone,
he said.

The one-day symposium by the Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital was
attended by mostly doctors and parents of drug users. There were
no representatives from schools or universities.

Many state schools in Jakarta as well as a number of
universities have introduced the urine test as part of their
campaign to stamp out drug abuse in their respective
institutions.

Samsuridjal Djoerban of the Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital agreed
that a drug-free environment at schools and universities was
essential, but subjecting students to urine tests was not likely
to be effective.

To establish a drug-free environment, schools and universities
could increase students's awareness about how destructive drugs
can be, Samsuridjal said.

Schools and universities should refer drug users to
appropriate treatment centers, he said.

"The most efficient containment is to have your child fully
understand the dangers of using drugs," he said. (06)