Students will be tested for drugs

After the rapid reaction of the Ministry of Health and Social Development to the President's speech in Irkutsk, there is almost no doubt...

The President literally said: "I believe that, unfortunately, the situation is such that we will probably have to go down this path." Minister Golikova immediately put on the table a draft law on testing schoolchildren, prepared jointly by...

The President literally said: "I believe that, unfortunately, the situation is such that we will probably have to go down this path."

Minister Golikova immediately put on the table a draft law on testing schoolchildren, prepared jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Science. According to the minister, drug testing in schools will be two-stage, it will be done by teenagers over the age of 13. The first stage of testing Golikova described as "sociological", referring to the questioning. The second stage will be held by schoolchildren classified as risk groups. The head of the Ministry of Health stressed that testing will be carried out purely on a voluntary basis.

The vector was quickly identified, at the same time leaving a lot of questions.

First and most important: let's say a positive test is obtained. What's next?

Second: if testing is positioned as voluntary, then what is the point in it?

The state has no answer to the first question. There is practically nothing in the country - no narrow specialists, no rehabilitation centers, no proven prevention algorithms. Even numerous health programs launched by all central TV channels prefer to bypass the topic. It is believed that a detailed story about drugs can serve as an advertisement.

By the way, according to statistics, only 2% of drug addicts treated in state drug dispensaries are cured completely. This shortage means that it is not worth counting on the fact that the child will receive help on time. At best, it will be “handed over” to the parents (well, if it is confidential).

Further, there are options. From responsible parents running around paid drug centers with exorbitant rates to banal beatings of their own child by irresponsible parents.

I deliberately dwell only on the medical aspect, because if you imagine what scope opens up for other interested structures in the topic, you will be taken aback. A vivid picture is being drawn of how people in uniform will come to the “labeled” teenager or his parents in order to shake out information about the dealer, which in the end will mean an impressive amount in their pockets. Or does anyone else have illusions about the true methods of fighting the drug trade?

The second question, about the voluntariness of the research, casts doubt on its meaning. Obviously, those who do not use will agree, and users will not agree. Will they make a separate list of refuseniks as unreliable? And they will follow them with a vengeance?

Unfortunately, the newly released project did not give an answer: the upcoming testing of schoolchildren and students is guaranteed to eliminate the punitive factor, will it have qualified medical support?

Without these answers, the idea of ​​saving the lives of the younger generation looks like just another campaign.

PS Several years ago trial testing was carried out in Tatarstan. We checked 300 thousand schoolchildren. A positive test was found in 400 people, but the majority - due to the use of drugs. Among them, only 17 actually used drugs. The president of Tatarstan publicly stated that the experiment had failed and the money had been wasted.