Letter: Children’s health trumps their privacy

Sunday, May 27, 2007 | 7:13 a.m.

The Las Vegas Sun's article concerning drug testing equipment available to parents is quite interesting ("Hey kids: Mom and Dad want your test results," May 23).

Predictably, there are the American Civil Liberties Union and the "don't hurt their self-esteem" crowd who oppose such testing availability. Those in opposition need to come to grips with reality and sensibility.

There is a rampant drug problem prevalent among today's youth. If parents are armed with the ability to no-notice their child with a drug test, and fear of such a test keeps even one child from starting down a path to oblivion, then more power to it.

A "perceived invasion of privacy?" Look around you. Pilots, athletes, military, health care workers and a great many major companies have random drug testing .

Why should children, the very group most pressured, impressionable and potentially benefited, be "protected" from those same tests?

J.J. Schrader, Henderson

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