The initiative of State Duma Deputy Vitaly Milonov to introduce compulsory drug testing for schoolchildren requires deep discussion with the involvement of specialists from different fields. This opinion was expressed on Monday, January 10, by the president of the Independent Narcological Guild Ruslan Isaev.
“On the one hand, now this is a voluntary procedure and it leaves some of the students unattended. We do not have information on the use of psychoactive substances or it does not come to us in a timely manner. On the other hand, it seems to me that there will be very great resistance from human rights defenders and lawyers – how constitutional is this measure in general and do we have the right to make such testing compulsory? ” – quotes the NSN narcologist.
He admitted that this procedure will be made mandatory and testing will show something. However, the question is whether the country has a system of assistance for adolescents with addictions or with some kind of mental disabilities. According to the expert, it is necessary that it does not turn out so that everyone who wants to can not be provided with qualified assistance, but only give the ground for some kind of trolling and rotten rot of such a child.
The specialist also recalled, speaking about the methods for identifying narcotic and psychotropic components in the human body, that not any test can give a high-quality result.
“And everyone has to carry out complex and expensive analyzes – I doubt that there is a possibility. Plus, psychoactive substances change at an insane rate and are updated every year, ”Isaev emphasized.
According to the expert, the way out of the situation lies in the cardinal improvement of the work of school psychologists, as well as in raising the level of their qualifications.
“There are very few schools where there are strong psychologists who can conduct psychological tests, and carry out some identification, and then offer support programs,” Isaev said.
He added that in recent years, the availability of narcotic and psychotropic drugs has increased in Russia, which leads to an increase in those who use it in adolescence. Isaev cited the statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, v. according to which hundreds of thousands of citizens are recognized as dependent annually. The average age of the majority is 20–39 years.
Over the past 10 years, there has been a tendency for drug addicts to rejuvenate in the country. During this period, the number of adults using psychoactive substances (PAS) increased by 8 times, the number of adolescents by 18 times, and children by almost 24 times. Narcologists estimate the average age of initiation of psychoactive substances at 12-13 years.
Earlier that day, Vitaly Milonov, deputy head of the committee of the lower house of parliament on family, women and children, said that at the beginning of the spring session, the State Duma would discuss the issue of introducing compulsory testing of students for drugs and mental disorders in schools, the 360 TV channel reported.
According to Milonov, such testing will help avoid incidents of violence in educational institutions. He also stressed that today the parents of students have the right to refuse to take a child drug test. The deputy believes that in this way the parents are trying to hide a possible problem, since they are not able to cope with it on their own, writes “Moscow 24”.
In 2019, the Russian Ministry of Education proposed to test schoolchildren for the use of narcotic and psychotropic substances from the age of 13.
Source: IZ

Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.