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)