The Office of National Drug Control Policy staff knows not to expect a smooth ride at their student drug testing summits, and Drug Policy Alliance members, staff and allies kept them on their toes at this year’s final summit on April 25 in Milwaukee.

Deputy Drug Czar Mary Ann Solberg told the crowd of educators at the summit that "kids love drug testing." A group of five students from Francis W. Parker School in Chicago and their inspiring teacher were there to counter this claim, with the high school students themselves articulating their thought-out opposition to these surveillance programs.

The students, active in their school's Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter, distributed flyers and an editorial they wrote outlining numerous problems with the surveillance programs. They have also collected hundreds of signatures in protest of Illinois bill HB3554, which would provide state endorsement for public schools to drug test students.

The Drug Czar’s office was forced to battle against criticism in the media as well, as opponents ensured both a well-balanced article in the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal and favorable coverage on Wisconsin Public Radio (listen to RealMedia file), with DPA staffer Jennifer Kern commenting opposite the Deputy Drug Czar.

At the summit itself, ONDCP speaker David Evans spent a significant portion of his time highlighting DPA's materials in the back of the room and attempting to discredit them. This only made him look unduly hostile and defensive, while sending the message that student drug testing proposals are sure to stir up controversy. Educators picked up DPA's materials throughout the day, including a handout listing school districts in Wisconsin that have rejected or abandoned drug testing programs. 

Milwaukee was the fourth and final stop this year on the ONDCP’s nationwide tour to promote random student drug testing, and opponents have been there at every stop asking tough questions, distributing materials and speaking with the media.

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly wrote in their March 6 edition, "A series of federally sponsored summits on student drug testing has featured an unusual juxtaposition of materials, illustrating deep philosophical differences over drug testing. At one end of the commonly seen display table at these sessions sit materials from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)…Usually in an adjacent space rests pamphlets from the Drug Policy Alliance, which opposes random testing of students and says schools' testing programs are too loosely administered to protect confidentiality and ensure accuracy."

If this consistent opposition presence hasn’t made the ONDCP rethink the wisdom of holding these summits, please join us again next year to counter them at every stop on the road.