Mandatory Drug Testing Called Useless

By James Young of the Cana- dian University Press

Vancouver (CUP) — Canadian students would benefit if Brian Mulroney’s support for mandatory drug testing disappeared in a puff of smoke, says a Simon Fraser University psychology professor.

“Mandatory drug testing is a hope- less idea — it creates humiliation and indignation and cannot solve the problem of grug dependance as it is supposed to,” said Bruce Alexander.

On a trip to Vancouver in Sep- tember, the prime minister said the government was examining the legality of mandatory drug testing under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and agreed he imple- ment such tests if possible.

While Mulroney later denied the statements, which where recorded during a press conference, The Vancouver Sun stood behind its original report.

Meanwhile, American Motors Inc. has announced drug tests are being used for all of its employees. In the House of Commons Nov. 4, Mul- roney defended his comments on Canada’s drug problem, which he called an “epidemic” to the sur- prise of most health agencies and experts.

“T had the occasion to describe the drug situation in Canada asI saw it and felt it to be at the time. I am delighted to see that most Canadi- ans agree with that,” Mulroney said, referring to a recently released poll showing 75 per cent of Cana- dians agree there is a drug epi- demic in the country.

Psychologist Alexander, who re- searched drug problems for 15 years, says there are many reasons to oppose drug testing.

“T have met a lot of people who lost their jobs in the U.S. because 0 test- ing,” he said. “There are a lot of cases before the courts right now —people are arguing that the test results are wrong and itis unfair to dismiss them.”

Alexander said the tests have a false positive rate of about five per cent, with one man fired for opium use after eating bread covered with

poppy seeds.

In the past several years, millions of people have been forced to under- go testing in the U:S., including employees of one-third of the 500 largest companies, the armed for- ces, and sections within the federal government, said Alexander.

Another arguement against test-

-

ing is its effect on employee rela- tions, Alexander said.

“You go to work and have to pee in a jar — how many people want to work in that kind of atmosphere?” asked Alexander, adding the very premise for testing rests on very shaky founations.

“Tt is predicted on the idea of ram- pant drug use in Canada and that’s not true — 90 percent of the people

who use cocaine and marijuana, ©

for example, do not hae a serious drug problem, but are using drugs recreationally and not harming anyone,” he said.

“If you fire people for using mari- juana at a party two weeks ago, you are only harming them,” he said.

Alexander said that many politi-

cians who succumb to anti-drug hysteria are simply naive, whil, others, including U.S. Presiden; Ronald Reagan, use it to distract from domesti¢ issues and as an instrument of foreign policy.

“It serves all of us to have a scape. goat to blame for high taxes and unemployment — politicians are caught upin the same mentality ag everyone else,” he said.

UPEI Fencing Team at St. Mary’s

Walter Wilkins, Jim Kyathfield, Steve Kyathfield, Phil Stewart,

by Chris Vessey Ont he weekend of November 1st

and 2nd a team of 11 fencers, novice and experienced, set out to make

Men’s Foil

Florian Friedrich Walter Wilkins ........... Silver Jim Kyathfield ......... Bronze

Women’s Foil Patricia Gonzales ......... Gold

‘Susan Stewart ........... Silver Johanna Eliot .......... Bronze

Jennifer Jenkins, Susan Stewart, Johanna Eliot, Kathy Goodfellow,

UPEI proud at the Saint Mary’s Inter-University Fencing Bout. The

tournament was a great success, with UPEI taking 11 of 17 medals

Competition Results:

Men’s Epee

Florian Friedrich ......... Gold Steve Kyathfield ......... Silver Sid Styatit-. soe as Bronze

Women’s Epee Johanna Eliot ............ Gold

Patricia Gonzales ........ Silver Jennifer Jenkins ........ Bronze

JACK SCORPIO IS DEAD!

I,DR SNEER, HAVE HAD My. REVENGE /

WHERE 1S THE LATE CAPTAIN

SNEER'S TREASURE

Wy ¢ >

I <Q * RST

ot}

NOW, MISS OCHAIR,

THINK ABOUT IT, DEB, IS KEEPIVG ME FROM MY ANCESTORS TREA-— SURE WORTH BEING SCARRED FOR LIFE?

WITH SCORPIO DEAD, NO ONE CAN STOP ME-

WHAT | SCORPIO

IT MEANS JACK IS ALIVE---

John Handrahan, Chris Vessey, and Simon Berge.

in the competition. Three weapons were fenced at this competition — foil, epee, and sabre — and there were men’s and women’s divisions for each weapon.

Men’s Sabre

Florian Friedrich ......... Gold Steve Kyathfield ......... Silver Walter Wilkins .......... Bronze

Top Male Novice: Simon Berge

Top Female Novice: Johanna Eliot

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