A high-ranking official from the National Committee for Narcotics Control (NCNC) has denied that there is any plan to conduct drug tests on school students at the beginning of the school year, saying the idea may be a good one but that it needs further detailed study that will take time.

A local paper had published a news report claiming that the Ministry of Education and the NCNC had joined hands to spread awareness against drugs among school students by testing them for substance abuse. The news report sent shock waves among Saudi families, with many parents expressing outrage.

Abdulelah Al-Shareef, assistant general director of Narcotics Control at the Ministry of Interior, told Arab News that the report was baseless and that the meeting with the Ministry of Education was held a year ago. “We are considering releasing a statement to newspapers and local news broadcasters to inform them that the issue was not even discussed at the meeting,” he said.

“Even if it was mentioned in the meeting, it needs detailed studies and discussions on the medical and security aspects of this issue. This is not easy to implement because we need to also study if this will limit the problem or create new issues. Some people will think that we are pointing fingers at our students and that we think they are guilty of taking drugs,” he added.

Alia Al-Gahtani, a mother of two schoolboys, heard about it on WhatsApp when her friends shared it with her. “This surprised me and I got really scared because I believe that school students are way too young to know about drugs and alcohol. I refuse to let anyone test my child without me being there,” she said.

“If they have to go through the test, I would much rather take my children to hospital and get the test done there just in case something happens. I would prefer we be among professional doctors and nurses,” she said.

Abdulgader Al-Qahtani, a teacher at a public school in Jeddah, says it is a brilliant idea and hoped the news report was true. “It would be great to test the students, especially during final exams because that’s when many students tend to take pills that help them stay awake for many hours,” he said, adding: “I would also like to be a part of this by spreading the word and helping the Ministry of Interior spread awareness against drugs. Students have no regard for such matters and I think the tests would shock them and they might get the message.”