Abbey is the first state school to drug test its pupils, in a scheme bizarrely funded by the News of the World. Although quite why the nation's favourite salacious Sunday tabloid should be involved in matters such as this is beyond me.
Critics say the tests encourage young people to play truant to avoid them. They push young people toward class A drugs such as cocaine that pass through the system quicker than class C substances such as cannabis.
They also potentially stigmatise young people taking prescribed substances for medical conditions. Then there's the potential for inaccurate tests, parents unwilling to give consent for their children to be tested, legal challenges, the breakdown in trust between staff and pupils.
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