HONG KONG: Police should not be involved in the school drug testing program because their involvement may put the personal safety of students at risk, says the Law Society of Hong Kong.

The society is, in principle, supportive of the voluntary drug-testing program to be introduced in Tai Po this year, said president Huen Wong.

He said the society has identified a number of concerns on the implementation of the program. One of the concerns is the lack of assurance that the police will not use the information gathered for intelligence purposes.

The society statement said students might be called as potential witnesses in criminal investigations or proceedings of dangerous drug related offences. Students who may be required to assist in criminal investigations and those who are perceived to be "whistleblowers" may be in personal danger.

"There should not be any element that can assist police in the program," Wong said. "Students may face personal danger if they are indirectly involved ... helping with the police investigation."

The society said the fully informed consent of the parents or guardians and the students should be obtained at the outset.

The society also said the parties involved in the program should undertake not to use the information of the test for other purposes and the administration should clearly indicate who will have access to the data and for how long the data will be retained. The procedures on expunging the data at the end of the program should also be clearly set out.

"The expunging of the data should be conducted openly. Those who have provided the data should be able to personally see that data is destroyed," Wong said.

A public consultation on the program will be implemented.

Commissioner for Narcotics Sally Wong Pik-yee said the police are involved to prevent the drug problem from spreading inside schools.

"We hope to understand how the drugs are available in the campus and how to stop the problem from spreading in the campus," Wong said. "There are opinions in the community that police involvement in the program will trigger worries. We will consider these opinions."

Acting Secretary for Education Kenneth Chen Wei-on said the government will improve the program.

(HK Edition 08/20/2009 page1)