Do you agree with the Board of Education's recent decision to institute a random drug testing program at Lacey High School?
Lacey will be among at least 20 school districts in New Jersey to institute such a program. Locally, Brick Township has had a random drug testing program in place for several years, and Manasquan recently voted to re-institute a program.
In October, officials held a final public forum on the program. (For details on how the program will work, see our previous story.)
Lacey's program is supposed to mirror that of other districts and conform to the relatively strict parameters set forth by the state's Supreme Court on how such programs can be administered.
District officials said the program is meant to be a deterrence to students using drugs as Ocean County battles a growing drug epidemic.
So far in 2013, more than 100 county residents have died of drug overdoses. Lacey has seen at least 28 overdoses and six deaths this year. Of those 28 overdoses, more than half – 15 in all – occurred in victims ages 15 to 28.
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