DRUG SWEEP MEMORABLE LESSON FOR OUR STUDENTS

Don't do drugs and don't bring them to school. The message arrived loud and clear in the form of three drug-sniffing dogs at Cape Girardeau's Central High School last Friday. We applaud the district officials for not only taking a tough stance on drugs, but demonstrating they mean business.

No drugs were found in student cars or lockers. But that came as no surprise to school officials. They had warned students earlier in the week that a drug sweep would be made, though they didn't say when. We realize their goal was to rid the school of drugs, not arrest students.

But district officials and police won't be so accommodating the next time, and that's as it should be. Future drug sweeps will be unannounced. Young drug pushers and users have been given fair warning: Bring drugs to school at your own peril.

The three trained German shepherds arrived at school early Friday and spent much of the day sniffing cars and lockers. At each class change, a crowd of teenagers flocked around to watch the process. Everyone knew what was happening and why.

The search was an outgrowth of the district's designation as a drug-free and gun-free zone. In March, the school board adopted a formal resolution designating all school properties and areas within 1,000 feet of the school as drug- and gun-free. Penalties for such activity in these school zones are more severe. It's also part of an increased community awareness about drug abuse.

The district also hoped to dispel rumors that the high school is a drug haven. This forewarned sweep probably wasn't a good measure of that. But future sweeps may reveal the presence or absence of drugs at the high school.

Preparation for the sweep included research by the prosecutor's office to ensure the searches were done legally. The object was not to violate student rights, but to expel drugs from school grounds.

Last Friday's drug sweep was a cooperative effort of educators and local law enforcement. It demonstrated that this community is serious about the campaign to get and keep our schools drug-free. The threat of future drug sweeps should provide a powerful incentive, and police should follow through when classes resume in the fall. Last week's drug sweep was an anti-drug lesson that students won't soon forget.