Pupils may have to take tests at the beginning of the school year – this is the proposal of the prefect of the capital, Rares Hopinch, to combat the phenomenon of drugs. He claims that he would ask the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NANA) to conduct a survey of parents and students to find out what they think about the introduction of such a measure.

The prefect of the capital said on Facebook that on Wednesday he had a meeting with representatives of several institutions: the ANA, the Department of Public Health, the Gendarmerie, the police, the School Inspectorate and the regional customs office on the topic of drug use. .

“The direction to follow is to find the right, legal and moral means by which we can succeed in combating the consumption of these substances among the population and especially among the youth, the most vulnerable social category with this point of view”, writes the prefect of the capital.

Raresh Hopincha says he asked ANA staff to conduct a series of questionnaires to find out the opinions of parents and students on the three subjects.

It was also decided that the National Drug Control Agency should conduct a three-item survey asking the opinion of parents and adult students on:

• 1) testing at school with an anti-drug device;
• 2) presentation at the beginning of the school year of a medical certificate confirming that the child has passed anti-narcotic blood tests (but which does not indicate the results of the tests);
• 3) introducing an anti-drug education class into the school curriculum,” the prefect said.

He says that based on the answers of parents and children, there will be specific proposals:

• “I repeat, this is a questionnaire to check the opinion of parents and adult students. After we have its results and based on them we will substantiate specific proposals. In no case will we take measures that contradict the interests and wishes of parents and students of schools and lyceums.

• It is our duty to take the necessary measures to protect children and help them to understand the dangers they are exposed to in case of inappropriate behavior and/or environment. I am glad to see the growing openness of society to discuss and understand these issues. Dialogue is an important step,” said Raresh Hopincha.

In addition, at Wednesday’s meeting with the student council, it was decided that a structure would be “created” at each school to help deliver anti-drug and prevention messages, says the Capital’s prefect.

Rares Hopincha was PSD General Counsel and City Manager of Sector 5 in Bucharest. He was appointed prefect of the capital on July 27, 2023.

Home Secretary wants drug testing in schools

Interior Minister Katalin Predoju announced on Monday that students can be tested for drugs in schools if they exhibit drug-like behavior.

According to him, the possibility of anti-drug testing of students by medical personnel in schools is being analyzed if they “apparently exhibit behavior characteristic of drug use.”

The minister noted that such testing will be conducted only with the consent of the parents.

This was stated by the Minister of Internal Affairs on Monday evening, when he presented the conclusions of the Control Body in the case of a road accident on May 2, where a 19-year-old boy who was driving a car while under the influence of drugs was killed. two young people with their car.

He spoke about measures to prevent drug use in schools to be included in the “2023-2024 National School Safety Action Plan”, a plan that is in place, saying he had arranged a meeting with representatives of several ministries, including Education, Health I, Work.

• “The mechanism will be aimed especially at the fight against drugs, violence and bullying in schools.
• As an innovation, we intend to create initiative groups at the level of each educational unit from representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the educational unit, as well as parent and student associations,” he said.

Johannis: That’s an option

Answering a journalist’s question about the option of introducing drug testing in schools, Klaus Iohannis said that “it is a very worrying fact that we are getting more and more signals that there are students who use illegal substances.”

• “Even then there is an option to try to introduce tests, of course, with the consent of parents and so on.
• We cannot sit and watch the phenomenon and do nothing. We need to find something in the sense of educationally preventing drug use, as well as being firmer and identifying those who do not understand well,” said the head of state. (Photo: Dreamstime.com)

• Read also:

• Should drug testing be introduced in schools? Johannis: This is an option

• Students can be drug tested in schools if they exhibit drug-like behavior – Predoiu