Letter: Drugs, teens and testing
Drug test kits distributed to parents at a Long Island high school Credit: Kathy Kmonicek
Proposed legislation by Assemb. Joseph S. Saladino (R-Massapequa) to require parents to test their teen children for drugs would be a waste of time and money, as well as an invasion of privacy by the school ["Bill: Drug test teens at home," News, Aug. 2]. Most teenagers know exactly how long it takes for most legal or illegal drugs to get out of their system. An annual drug screening would be misleading and provide a false sense of safety to many parents and schools.
Schools need to educate parents and students on this topic, but parents need to take the responsibility. Parents have the right to randomly drug-test their children at any time, and I intend to exercise that right when my kids hit the teenage years. If there is any extra reason I can give them to say no to peer pressure, I will use it.
I am a social worker in a substance-abuse counseling center, and I see parents in denial every day. It is the parents and society that are failing, and the schools alone cannot provide a solution. Although I am happy that there is thought being given to this very serious and dangerous situation, I do not believe Saladino's suggestion is an efficient one.
Kat Lichter, Islip Terrace
If it were just one family's tragedy, we wouldn't need to talk with our children about heroin and prescription drug abuse. Newsday's own coverage continues to substantiate the growing problem. The debate over drug-testing of teenagers has captured a great deal of attention ["Mandatory drug tests flunk," Editorial, Aug. 7], and I am glad if it encourages parents to have a lifesaving conversation with their children. The shape of testing continues to evolve, creating a nonmandatory tool for parents' use only. More important, it begins a debate on how to balance everyone's rights as we seek to better protect our children from the risks they face today. My intention is to find a way to save children's lives without unwanted government intrusion.
I am forming a task force of families of victims, substance-abuse recovery experts, law enforcement and the counseling community to address ideas and solutions ["Task force to help parents in addiction fight," News, Aug. 11]. I strongly believe that robust debate and the commitment to try are the beginnings of meaningful initiatives.
Assemb. Joseph S. Saladino, Massapequa
