By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Oh, please, let's not let student drug testing become the hot button Van Cam distraction of this legislative session.

The session just started Wednesday and already there's discussion of random drug testing for all students in public schools, mandatory drug testing for student athletes and for students suspected by teachers or parents to be using drugs.

What's so frustrating about all this is that there's a difference between good intention and good policy. How wonderful that there's a real desire among lawmakers to make a difference.

However, the real problem in our schools is not identifying who's using and who's not. The real problem is that there still is not enough room in treatment programs and not enough investment in prevention programs. Any state money spent to combat the scourge of drugs in our community should go first to those areas, not to paying to send hair samples to a lab.

So what if a student tests positive for drug use? What then? Does the kid get signed up for treatment? Where? Waiting lists only add to the frustration. What is a kid supposed to do while waiting to be treated?

Does the kid get kicked off the football team for a dirty test? Great. Now he has more time on his hands to get loaded. For lots of kids, the one thing that will keep them from using, keep them from falling, is football or band or drama class or surf club or whatever. Take that away and you cut off their lifeline.

A year ago, I got to hear former Olympic boxer Brian Viloria address a packed house of teenagers at an antidrug event held in the Farrington High auditorium. He talked about growing up in Waipahu and the lure of drugs and thuggery. "The gym was my antidrug," he told them. "I was too busy training to get into trouble."

Truer words were never spoken.

If the rallying cry in the Capitol and in our community is to rid our schools of drugs, great. Wonderful. About time. But let's focus on what's really gonna' make it happen.

Give the schools the funding they need to fulfill their primary mission: to give our kids a solid education. Having a good grasp on reading, writing and math goes pretty far to keep kids straight.

Pay for drug treatment programs. Period. No sense testing if there's no help for a kid who tests positive.

That's what our legislators can do.

What you can do — you, you reading this right now — goes far beyond lobbying your representative for more money for schools.

The best prevention, the best intervention, is long-term interaction with a caring, clear-thinking adult. Sometimes, that's not mom or dad. Sometimes it's teacher or sensei or coach or kumu or tutu.

You want something to be done about drug use among kids? Volunteer at your nearest school, library, community center, or church. Coach a team. Teach a craft. Read a book. Do a lecture demonstration on how to make your world-famous mango lychee cupcakes. Whatever.

But let's not waste time debating whether to test kids for drug use when we haven't got the "what then?" taken care of yet.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.