New Jersey’s Northern Valley Regional School District, which includes Demarest and Old Tappan high schools, recently recommended against moving forward with a proposed random student drug testing policy.  The Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey played an active role in educating the school community about the limitations and potential harms of drug testing programs. 

The school district’s Substance Abuse Task Force, which consisted of Student Assistance Counselors, school nurses, principals, assistant principals, athletic directors, a member of the Board of Education, and two students (one from each high school) voted 15 – 3 against implementing a random student drug testing policy.  The proposal under consideration would have allowed random drug testing of 9th- through 12th-grade students who park on campus or participate in sports or other extracurricular activities.  The task force presented its recommendation to the school board and based on their report, Dr. Jan Furman, the Superintendent of schools, did not suggest moving forward with random drug testing.

During the public consideration process and prior to the vote opposing the policy, the Substance Abuse Task Force invited Roseanne Scotti, Director of Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey, to speak to the Northern Valley community.  The Task Force organized a town hall meeting at Demarest high school, where Scotti presented the major concerns about random student drug testing, including the lack of research surrounding the efficacy of drug testing policies and the unintended consequences of such policies on students’ attitudes towards school, school administrators, and teachers.  Also invited to the town hall meeting to present the other side of the issue was Chris Steffner, Principal of Hunterdon Central High School, who argued in support of random student drug testing as a deterrent.

In addition to presenting to around 100 parents and students in Northern Valley and providing them with materials such as the booklet Making Sense of Student Drug Testing: Why Educators Are Saying No, and the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement opposing student drug testing, DPA New Jersey collected student testimonials from Christopher Lauth and Allegra Stout against drug testing and sent these letters to the Superintendent of Northern Valley and the Substance Abuse Task Force members. DPA New Jersey also sought and received support from a New Jersey pediatrician who wrote a letter to the school district urging them to oppose drug testing.

According to an article in the Bergen Record, the task force members showed concern about the effectiveness of the drug testing program and a possible change in the school environment with implementation of such a program.

“The data hasn’t proven [drug testing] has been a deterrent… [Drug testing] would create a non-trusting environment between students, administrators and teachers,” said Greg Butler, who headed the Northern Valley Substance Abuse Task Force.

DPA New Jersey will continue to fight against random student drug testing and urge school districts to develop effective drug prevention and education programs for its students.