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Students' lives are their own business

In a time of increasing technology and innovation, there is one thing that is being greatly overemphasized. Drug tests. First, let me say that I am not writing this as a support for the use of drugs, but rather for the overemphasis that is being put into drug tests.

My question is, if a student is making the grade and is a prime candidate for a job opening, why should what the student does in his or her spare time have any relevance whatsoever as to whether or not he or she gets the job?

The student is being hired strictly for a job; that's it. If a student managed to graduate while also using drugs, more power to him or her.

Why aren't any inquiries made into a student's drinking habits?

I understand the excessive use of some drugs (cocaine, heroin, etc.) can be detrimental to one's health, but at the same time, some other drugs (marijuana, for example) have never been shown to have long-term side effects. A new form of drug testing should be administered in which only drugs that have been known to be harmful in the long run are tested for.

Excessive and frequent consumption of alcohol can have much harsher long-term effects, such as alcoholism, than the constant use of a drug like marijuana. Corporations today have become obsessed with administering drug tests, which in a sense could hurt them since they would be losing a potentially valuable employee just because they used drugs while attending school. Are we expected to be bookworms, to never go out or do some crazy things while in school? College is a place to learn, but at the same time, it is also the last step between young adulthood and the real world.

We are given four years to live the life, to get a quality education while living away from our parents and some students choose to exploit this newfound freedom.

It's their choice. And employers should recognize this and realize that the use of some drugs does not necessarily prohibit someone from being a successful employee. So, to you employers out there, take a second to look at your hiring practices and requirements. And I will see you at Hash Bash.

EMILE BAIZEL

ENGINEERING JUNIOR