Evening star., 1951-08-29
Health Officer
|0pposesPupi|
Drug Test Plan
Physical Examination
Proposal Impractical,
Dr.. Seckinger Says

Health Officer Daniel L. Seek
niger today branded as imprac-
tical suggestion that all District
junior and senior high school
pupils be given physical examina-
tions for possible drug addiction.
He said a program of close
supervision by District teachers
would accomplish the same pur-
pose without causing a fear
Ipsychosis" among the children
and their parents.
DR.. Seckinger and DR.. Richard
Il. DeSaussure conferred this
morning on the pamphlet which
the Health Department will issue
to all school officials and teachers.
The publication will point out the
signs by which possible drug ad-
Idiction can be recognized.
Tests Proposed by Martin.
The. suggestion that $4,000
pupils here be given physical
examinations was made by B. M.
Martin, supervisor of the Bureau
of Narcotics, Baltimore Washing
ton area.
In a letter to DR.. Hobart M.
Corning, superintendent of E&-
trict schools, Mr.. Martin wrote:
I'VE believe we might uncover as
many as 10 cases. which, if al
lowed to continue, would permit
each addict to probably make two
others :"
However, DR.. Seckinger said the
10 cases might be picked UP any,
way If teachers are alert in their
observations.
DIR. Desaussure. also of the
Health Department, who has just
completed an investigation of
signs of drug addiction, said there
is no simple test to determine if
a child is using drugs.
List Includes Whisky.
Included In the list of drugs to
be mentioned in the Health De-
partment pamphlet is whisky.
Health Department officials de-
cided to include the beverage be-
cause there is sometimes danger
that children will drink in an ef-
fort to appear grown up"
Drugs specifically mentioned in
the pamphlet will be marijuana,
cocaine, heroin, benzedrine and
sleeping pills.
DR.. De Saussure described
heroine as particularly danger
GUS"
DR.. Seckinger said it would be
virtually impossible to examine
all the students registered in Dis
ltrict schools.
He said that the symptom of
heroine addiction is continual
itching and an addict's skin shows
ia lot of scratch marks. However,
he said, scabies also causes itch
ing and produces similar scratch
marks.
Whereas it might be possible to
make a mistake in just one physi-
cal examination, he said, continual
observation of a pupil who not
only scratched excessively but
showed marked changes in his be-
havior pattern would indicate a
valid cause for further investiga-
tion.
Observation Important.
DR.. Seckinger said that should
a teacher, through constant OBJ
servation, decide a child was an
addict, a report would be made to
school and health department Off
cials and the child would be more
closely watched and questioned.
He said the Health Department
has no authority to commit mar
cotics users to Gallinger Hospital
as suggested by Mr.. Martin
nor would there be any room for
them at the municipal institution.
The problem would be UP to ju-
venile authorities, he said.
DR.. Seckinger and representa-
tive of the Public Health Service.
will meet with DR.. Corning and
top school officials September S to
map plans for the narcotic -detec-
tion program in the schools.