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HE GEM

Volume 4, Number i3 _

Vancouver (CUP) — Canadian students would benefit if Brian Mulroney’s support for man- datory drug testing disappear- ed in a puff of smoke, says a Simon Fraser University psy- chology professor.

“Mandatory drug testing is a hopeless idea. — it creates humiliation and indignation and cannot solve the problem of drug dependance as it is said Bruce

”

supposed to, Alexander.

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

While Mulroney later denied the statements, which where recorded during a press con- ference, 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, Mulroney defended his comments on Canada’s drug problem, which he called an “epidemic” to the surprise of most health agen- cies and experts.

“T had the occasion to describe the drug situation in Canada as I saw it and felt it to be at the time. I am delighted to see that most Canadians agree with that,” Mulroney said, re- ferring to a recently released poll showing 75 per cent of Canadians agree thereis a drug epidemic in the country.

Psychologist’ Alexander, who researched drug problems for 15 years, says there are many reasons to appose drug testing.

“Thave met a lot of people who lost their jobs in the U.S. be- cause o testing,” he said. “There are a lot of cases before the courts right now — people are arguing that the test results are wrong and it is 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, mil- lions of people have been forced to undergo testing in the U.S.,

including employees of one--

third of the 500 largest com- panies, the armed forces, and sections within the federal government, said Alexander.

By James Young

Another argument against testing isits effect on employee relations, Alexander said.:

“You go to. work and have to pee in a jar — how many peo- ple want'to work in that kind of atmosphere?” asked Alexan- der, adding the very premise for testing rests on very shaky foundations.

“Tt is predicted on the idea of rampant drug use in Canada

Thursday, January 15th 1987

Mandatory Drug Testing Called Useless

and that’s not true — 90 per- cent of the people who use co- caine and marijuana, for exam- ple, do not have a serious drug problem, but are using drugs recreationally and not harm- ing anyone,” he said.

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

Alexander saidthatman ovol-

Federal Science Policy

Ottawa (CUP) — The federal government’s commitment to quality research is eroding, warn scientists and research groups.

The National Research Coun- cil has been told to cut $20 mil- lion from its budget, and find another $74 million during the next five years as part of Can- ada’s $800 million share of the American space station project.

NRC president Larkin Kerwin said as many as 200 scientists could lose their jobs, while some NRC departments and facili- ties will be either shut down or sold.

Kerwin, calling the govern- ment decision “regrettable”, said the council administrators have tried to minimize losses. “We have looked carefully at

all our programs and have had to take some very difficult de- cisions,” Kerwin said.

The NRC cutback follows a decision this winter to freeze guaranteed funding to the Natural Sciences and Engineer- ing Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humani- ties Research Council, which fund most research on Cana- dian campuses. As well, the government last year cut 50 per cent of the budget of the Science Council of Canada, a policy and advisory body.

Science and technology minis- ter Frank Oberle, who has been attacked almost daily in the House of Commons by opposi- tion critics, staunchly defends the government’s move to re- duce the federal deficit, and said reported damage to Can- adian research is exaggerated.

“There will be no layoffs and no pink slips (at the NRC),” said Oberle, even though senior NRC officials say layoffs are inevitable.

And even if layoffs are avoided, they say, research will suffer because of insufficient funding for equipment, supplies, and support staff.

“Of what I can see, budgets are dropping, and support is dis- appearing,” said. NRC physi- cist Zbigniew Basinski, a mem- ber of the Order of Canada whostudies metal strength and fatigue.

“Funding restraint (is making) my research impossible,” he said.

“From our point of view, the really terrible thing is that morale is going below sea level,” he said.

Mosur Sundaresan, chair of Carleton University’s physics

iticians who succumb to anti-

drug hysteria are simply naive,

while others, including U.S.

President Ronald Reagan, use

ft to distract from domestic~ issues and as an instrument of

foreign policy.

“Tt serves all of us to have a scapegoat to blame for high taxes and unemployment — politicians are caught up in the same mentality as everyone else,” he said.

In Disarray

department, said scientists out- side the NRC also have reason to lose heart. “Although we have not been directly affected, we are very concerned about the future,” he said.

“We are not convinced the government are|[sic] very con- cerned about the future. We are not convinced the government should be puting|sic}] so much money into the space station project on such a long-term basis,” said Sundaresan.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers is not opposed to Canadian partici- pation in the space venture, but CAUT president Allan Sharp said the cut “is another wrong step to take.”

“Canada provides too little money for research in Canada. Mr Oberle seems to be of the view that science policy in Canada can beimproved with- out new funds,” said Sharp.

“We think improving science policy will require new money. Mr. Oberle is going to have to accept that fact, somewhere along the line,” said Sharp.

David Orlikow, New Demo- cratic technology critic, said the private sector will not pro- vide as much financial sup- port as the government is expecting it.to.

“There’s no evidence that that’s going to work. Opinion in the private sector is contrary to that,”’ Orlikow said.

Opposition MPs have ha- rangued the Mulroney govern- ment for backing down on pre- election promises to double research and development spending.

“The prime minister when he was leader of the opposition said he would increase fund- ing to the NRC,” Orlikow said.