New
law may expand testing for drug use in high
schools
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
• The Star-Ledger
Drug testing could become more common in
New Jersey high schools under new legislation signed by
acting Gov. Richard Codey.
The legislation sets guidelines for
schools that want to adopt drug-testing programs for
students involved in after school sports programs,
extracurricular activities or for those who want parking
permits, said Jason Butkowski, spokesman for the state
Senate Democrats.
While some districts in the state already
have such programs, Butkowski said the new legislation will
give all districts more legal protection.
Besides testing for drugs such as
marijuana, the legislation also allows schools to test for
steroids, something that has been described as a growing
problem at high schools.
"Student athletes have been pressured
into making bad choices about steroid use and this will
provide a check on that pressure," state Sen. Nicholas J.
Sacco, a sponsor of the measure, said in a
statement.
The legislation, signed into law Monday,
sets up guidelines for notifying parents and students of the
policy, and selecting, testing and punishing students who
fail a test or refuse to take one.
Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New
Jersey School Boards Association, which supported the
legislation, said the organization knows of 12 districts in
the state that already have random drug-testing programs in
place. Some programs only test athletes; others extend to
all extracurricular activities or to students who want
parking permits.
© 2005 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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