Random drug test on children?

This is a growing problem in the UK. It seems that some parents have so much distruss in thei children they like the idea of their children being forced to have random drug test. Schools seem to love the idea too, but concidering they liked the idea of introducing ‘virtual strip searches’ in schools, the fact they demand children take drug test is no surprise. The problem?

First of all the drug test (which is classed as a medical) is done in front of the rest of class by taking a check swab which is tested there and then (no privacy about the results).

It creates distrust. Teachers and parents are in effect telling their children they don’t trust them whilst the teachers and parents dont have to be tested.

They are not as reliable as they are promoted. At one school 2 pupils had a false positive, one of them failed because the toothpaste she used was confused with crystal meth.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=439743&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments

The testing breaches medical ethics as pupils are being forced to have a medical exam (they have no way of saying no without being accused of being a drug user by the ‘nothing to hide nothing to fear’ crap brigade). The pupils that failed were model pupils, which made the school think something was wrong. I very much doubt the school would have thought that if the pupils were ‘trouble’ pupils. Personally, I think if a trouble pupil gets a positive, they will be treated very differently by the school. But then again, I could be wrong. I doubt I am wrong, but never say never. Teachers are now even allowed to search pupils, although it should be stressed that this search is no way near as bad as they have in the USA where schools are allowed to strip-search children (http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/092006search.cfm). There has already been a few instances of this happening even before this became law (might want to think twice about going to the States to stay if you have children).Then again, it could be worse. You could be going through Israel where morals and ethics dont seem to apply and security staff are allowed to abuse men, woman and children ( http://www.counterpunch.org/weir03152007.html). Personally I think it is sick that such abusers are allowed anywhere near adults let alone near children. I wonder if Israel would be offended if this was happening to Jewish children (Jewish children are exempt from being abused by the security services)? I’m not saying it should, It should not happen to anyone and I don’t have a problem with saying anyone that thinks this is OK, is sick in the head. It does raise the question, are the security services only doing this to humiliate men, woman and children in the hope they don’t return?

Employer access to medical information

So what can employers ask you? Quite a lot actually!

For example I have had questionnaires that ask (I am working on a way of getting a sample form online) if you have ever had emotional problems, had diarrhoea, vomiting, dysentery, food poising and any other medical problems. In other words if you have seen a GP/nurse for something, you must declare it directly to the employer and anyone else that handles the form. You also have to supply ‘details’ for each thing. Even if the employer does not misuse the above info (we all know this happens) and does not tell anyone (again we all know this happens), I for one think asking those sorts of questions is bang out of order and the CO-OP should not be asking them.

What happens after you start? Well think about it. If you had to declare this sort of info before starting, they will most likely want to know it after you start, so no way to get help with emotional problems or anything else without telling the boss. I for one think that is bang out of order. I am all for employers knowing if you are capable of doing the job, but that in no way should allow them to know our medical info. The Job? Stacking shelves and serving customers at a shop in Bucksburn area of Aberdeen.. Why would that thrush, UTI or bleeding from your rectum prevent you from doing the job?

Some employers can also ask you to have a complete medical examination, such a the ones BUPA offers for employee screening. With that in mind, you might want to ask for doctor of the same gender if you are being asked to have a medical for an employer, just in case in involves anything more than very basic stuff (you are allowed a GP of the same gender for intimate examinations even if it is not for a job). If your not bothered then that is is up to you.

The UK health profession refuse to do anything to stop this sort of thing and last time I contacted the MSP for my area (an SNP guy in Aberdeen) he seemed far from interested in stopping it, he even seemed to think it was a good idea for employers to invade our privacy.