Raise gas tax to save our children

Our children are being exposed to drugs at an alarming level. Our courtrooms, schools, police officers and parents see this on a daily basis.

One program that could reduce this exposure and bring the responsibility back to the children and their parents is to institute a drug screening test for all students wishing to receive a learners permit or drivers license.

If the first test administered at the DMV is positive, then they do not receive the permit or license until they return after an agreed upon time and enrollment into a drug prevention class to receive a clean drug test for which they pay.

Numerous companies require a drug test, and many people are not employed because of failure.

This proactive plan could be paid for by an increase in gas tax for which anyone would be willing to pay. This is a small price to pay for helping our children head in the right direction.

I am positive that with the right people in charge, this program could be implemented, and just the very nature of it in place would put thousands on alert. It would be a signal to our citizens and the rest of the country that our state is more serious about our most precious resource- our children.

Driving is a privilege, not a right, and comes with responsibilities. I hope that this ideas really takes off as I believe parents , educators, judicial officials, religious leaders, healthcare providers and eventually our children will thank us for being strong enough to care.

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Raise gas tax to save our children."