In response to Thursday’s letter on school drug testing, “Everett should follow Lake Stevens”: The only place I know of that does random testing for drugs, even to those who do not use drugs, is prison. And even there the testing does not prevent the use of drugs. Staff brings in the drugs and inmates buy them.

Where are the facts to account for the change in drug use that random testing will bring about? There are none. The United States government has been tough on drugs since the 1920s and other than more people experimenting with drugs, there has been no change.

Heroin use increased in the ’60s when the price dropped because Air America (CIA) flew opium out of the golden triangle to Turkey: the heroin was processed and shipped from Marseilles and sent to New York. Now the cheap heroin will be coming from Mexico and Central America (still), and a bumper crop in Afghanistan of opium poppies. Cocaine became cheap and available during the Reagan administration when weapons from the U.S. were marketed in Central America in trade for cocaine that was shipped into Texas and Arkansas by air (CIA?).

Young or old people make choices to experiment with drugs for thousands of reasons.

We are all different, of course, different backgrounds, economic situations, etc. Bill Clinton came from a broken, abusive home and his brother was a dope fiend. Go figure. Rich, poor, abused or not, it doesn’t matter. Drug users come from all types of backgrounds.

There is no panacea for drug abuse. Stop trying. Treat the addict who asks for help or because of need winds up in the legal system.

Andy Evich

Everett