A simple switch is all that’s needed to cheat, says AMA chief

THE most common problem with drug testing in schools is not unreliable kits but students swapping samples, according to AMA chief Dr Steve Hambleton.

Dr Hambleton yesterday rejected myths that urine and saliva test kits delivered inaccurate results, and pointed to the ‘‘chain of custody’’ as the main problem.

‘‘The biggest challenge when using a drug testing kit is ensuring that it is the right specimen and it has not been switched,’’ Dr Hambleton said.

Dr Hambleton said over-thecounter drug testing kits, ranging from $25 to $40 per sample (urine and saliva), were becoming more accurate and more readily available.

He said police officers were using a s i mil a r s y s t e m, whi c h was endorsed by the courts.

‘‘These kits are becoming more readily available from pharmacies and chemists and more accurate as technology advances,’’ Dr Hambleton said.

‘‘There are very few test kits that would show a false positive reading.

‘‘The court has the view that these methods are appropriate and if there was ever a time to challenge that, it would be in court.’’

Despite advancing technology, Dr Hambleton said schools such as The Southport School should source sample kits from a credited manufacturer.

‘‘The school should get advice on which tests they should use from a pathology testing laboratory,’’ he said. ‘‘These tests are used for ran- dom roadside testing, which has passed the test of the court.’’

Dr Hambleton said once the sample was retrieved, a machine would then extract the chemical and give a qualitative (what drug) or quantitative (how much of a drug) reading.

In 2008, the Australian National Council on Drugs recommended random drug-testing not be introduced in schools.

The report estimated that it could cost at least $355 million to conduct one saliva test on every student each year and $305 million for one urine test on every student each year.

Some educators argue that the ‘‘billions’’ of dollars required to establish a drug-testing system would be better spent on educating students about drugs through traditional and cheaper methods.

The report also showed that children who were given $21 to $60 a week were 60 per cent more likely to have used drugs in the past 12 months than students with less than $20 disposable income.