Do I need to check the students and applicants for drug abuse?

In September 2005 the Minister of Education and Science Andrei Fursenko proposed to test students and applicants of universities on the subject of drug use.

According to official health statistics in Russia today, about 150,000 adolescents, including tomorrow's applicants who use drugs. These figures, however, differ considerably from the Interior Ministry data. According to Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev in medical statistics gets only a small part of the "drug of the iceberg", but actually in Russia up to 4 million young addicts.

Fursenko proposed a mass testing of students, since only thus, in his opinion, it is possible to get a picture of drug abuse among students.

In the West, he said, some private universities have the obligation to be tested is fixed directly to the charter school. If a student caught using drugs, it instantly expelled from the university. Refusal of a student or student from compulsory test is seen as proof of his guilt.

Andrei Fursenko promised that we have to punish a student who turned drug addict, will not, nobody is going to obstruct and "lighted" student: that data are needed especially in order to estimate the scale of disaster.

Human rights activists believe that under current law forced medical examinations of students without their consent are impossible, that the initiative of the Ministry violates the presumption of innocence and human right to privacy.

Human rights activists believe that we need other mechanisms or methods to change the behavior of young people, to bring them to another life. They are confident that, despite promises to the Minister on the voluntary participation in testing, in practice it will become mandatory. And refusing to automatically fall into the black list. In addition, the student got on drugs once or twice, probably be dismissed, that is, deprive the opportunity to pursue higher education, pushed from a normal environment. As a result, it will slide further.

Currently, the issue of mandatory testing of applicants and students on drug abuse is on the table.

But the leaders of a number of universities require students to their decision to take this analysis. Here are just a few facts.

Since 2001, by order of the governor of the Tyumen region is carried out mass testing for drug abuse of school-leavers, students and graduates of the first colleges, high schools, colleges, universities and recruits

In spring 2004, Federal Drug Control Service signed an agreement with the Regional Council of Rectors of the Primorsky Territory for entry in the university statutes, penalties for drug use: addicts in the coastal universities face expulsion. Information about drug addiction is supposed to receive from narcological and police - to test all students in Primorye is not resolved.

The Law on Youth in Moscow, adopted in January 2004, provides for the mandatory annual medical examination of students with the ability to conduct drug testing. However, this norm, according to university administrations, never used - it is contrary to federal law.

For several years, are tested for drug addiction, students of the Ural Mining and Geology University (Ekaterinburg), and the students USTU convicted of drug use are subject to immediate dismissal

In fact, testing students on anything - it's not that hard. After all, teenagers make the same pass a medical examination with the participation of all physicians, including gynecologists and urologists, which is sharply negative attitude of some guys.

Incidentally, in Article 32 of the Fundamentals of Russian legislation on health care refers to the need the consent of citizens to medical intervention. A teen who asks for medical board if they agree to this intervention? And who does not agree - do not take to college. Or other penalties are something.

So the question of presumption of innocence and the right to privacy is too early to conduct not only in the field of substance abuse testing, but also in other areas.