A council initiative to provide 1,500 families with free drugs tests is likely to spark a heated discussion in the North Holland town of Edam-Volendam this week. Parents will be able to use the kits to test their children for drugs use. The council says the move is designed as a preventative measure.
The tests are intended for parents with children aged between 15 and 19. Using a saliva sample they can check if their offspring have been taking drugs including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, opiates (heroin, morphine and codeine) and PCP (Angel Dust).
A recent study shows Edam-Volendam ranks fourth in the province’s towns with the most serious drug abuse problem. Councillor Gina Kroon-Sombroek thinks the test will give parents the opportunity to raise the highly charged subject of drugs with their kids:
"First and foremost it’s about prevention. Parents can say: 'I've got that test, so bear in mind you can be tested'. Our hope is that it'll stop young people experimenting with drugs or, at least, keep them from using them."
Suspicion
The council's reason to hand out free tests is that parents who suspect their child is using drugs might be unlikely to buy a test to find out. The kits are expensive and parents could fear being stigmatised if they are seen buying one.
Councillor Kroon-Sombroek is aware that the council has taken a radical step in its anti-drug policy – far more radical than in other Dutch towns, which stick to handing out leaflets on leaflets and organising information evenings for parents. Mrs. Kroon-Sombroek sees the test mainly as a supplement to existing educational and preventative campaigns. 'It's absolutely not compulsory. We as the council are not telling parents to test their children. Not at all. We are simply offering the possibility.'
Courageous Mothers
Drug use in Edam-Volendam has been a problem for years, and the local council has launched a number of initiatives to increase awareness, the most important of which is Moedige Moeders (Courageous Mothers): volunteers who are facing drug issues in their families.
Tonnie Tol is a member of the group and is pleased with the council's action. "It's a straight way to deal with suspicions about kids' drug use," she says. “I don’t expect children will object when their parents ask them to take the test. If they’ve got nothing to hide, they won’t refuse. If they do, parents will immediately know something is wrong and can try to find help.”
Anti-tolerance policy
Ms Tol believes the people of Edam-Volendam are ready for the free test, which the council sees as a logical follow-up to its existing initiatives on drug education and drug prevention. To Tonnie Tol, it’s another step toward a far stricter anti-tolerance policy.
Email this Article
Printer-friendly version
Hiram, stop lambasting your beliefs onto others. Marijuana & heroin are completely different (though I have never used or plan to try to use or acquire heroin), however ANY kind of addiction be it food, sex, porn, drugs or work can be debilitating on the user depending on external forces. Marijuana in the US is deblitating due to lack of outlets (you can compare a coffeeshop to a bar kind of), outrageous cost which ONLY benefits the criminals as they are not taxed, though indirectly they provide city & government jobs in drug enforcement. I do not believe marijuana on its own to be problematic, but I do feel the risk associates with hard drugs are.
Drugs, are a luxury of the west, for you to deny that you must be oblivious or ignorant. Let me ask you, which is more moral, and straightforward, tolerance of soft drugs or criminalizing all drugs or police using it as an excuse to arrest you, but if you are the right skin tone or shape of eyes, they let you go (u.s.)? Criminalization of marijuana is BS, originated from Harry Ainslinger, and was a way to lock up Mexicans/off tone people who were then smoking it, a law born of xenophobia, how moral is that? About as morally correct as Israel will ever be.
Let me say it like this if you can not understand, any public policy or law that creates disrespect or contempt against police, that over MILLIONS of its citizens (americans) have broken, must be a bad public policy. Nevermind the waste of resources locking up minor drug dealers and users on possession charges while freeing rapists in months.
It is easy as heck to acquire any drugs in any part of America today, it is the world's largest drug market. So please keep your hypocrisy to yourself- it's not welcome.
1. Wow, someone states "Hiram, stop lambasting your beliefs onto others" and then starts "lambasting" his/her/it's belief system on Hiram. Very good, my friend! 2. " I do not believe marijuana on its own to be problematic, but I do feel the risk associates with hard drugs are."....Now, just a few months ago, there was a news article in which teens were having problems with marijuana. Marijuana is addictive and it affects no only the user's cognitive processes but has a cause and effect on society. You need to research the adverse effects marijuana (wacky tobacco) has on both long term and short term usage. 3. People addicted to marijuana, just like those addicted to alcohol, make-up all kinds of excuses in order to justify their addictions. 4. As in this article, a part of society are concerned about their children and their illegal drug usage. Anybody who sells marijuana or any illegal drug should be incarcerated for long periods of time because they are a danger. society has a right and responsibility to protect all of it's citizens but more especially the young and aged citizens. 5. "it's not welcome".....I am sure it is not to the criminals who sell the drugs and those who need the drugs to get high! p.....................s. Marijuana is a psycho-active drug and it is addictive. The children come first and the drug dealers need to clear their minds in a prison cell for a long period of time.
Your children are addicted because you have distorted perception on both soft and hard drugs. You are re-active and not pro-active. Anyone who sells illegal drugs such as marijuana and heroin need to be incarcerated for a very long period of time. Anyone who smuggles or deals in large amounts of illegal drugs need to be put in prison for their natural life. Why do you let criminals murder your children and do nothing about it? You treat criminals better than your family!
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.