Interesting post dkisane.And a very credible hypothesis.For my...

Interesting post dkisane.

And a very credible hypothesis.

For my part, the jury is still out on this one, but you could be right and it will be interesting watching developments over the next 6 months or so.

The Calderon Government launched the Safe Schools Program over a year ago now. The Program includes multiple elements - school bag searches, anti-drug education programs as well as drug testing.

The Government has been at pains to say that it will not enforce the drug testing program. That this is up to indivdual States in conjunction with schools and parents.

A softly, softly approach.

No States apart from Nuevo Leon (and Itzapalapa - which did a small urine-based program which had been organised before Calderon launched Safe Schools) have as yet taken up the testing part of Safe Schools - but most have implemented the other components of the program.

When Calderon launched the new school year on 18 August - with the speech that you posted on - he emphasised the antidoping part of the Safe Schools program. This is what he said:

"At the same time held that the Safe Schools Program-which includes the revision of backpacks and implementing anti-doping tests to students-will be extended from 8 thousand to 14 thousand educational institutions, with the goal that schools are drug free, and gang violence and are supported by the community"

In saying this, he knows verry well that apart from the small pilot in NL, the antidoping has NOT been implemented in any of the 8,000 schools.

So why is he emphsaising in a national speech that the Safe School Program (specifically including the antidoping) would be extended to 6,000 more institutions.

So yes, seems to suggest that Calderon's Government very much wants to keep testing officially on the agenda (despite the lack of progress in most States) but is very happy to have its colleagues (in at least one State) do the 'dirty work'.

And there is a lot of 'dirty work'! Anyone following the story over the past 6-9 months would be aware of that. Heaps of political and civil libertarian opposition from highly organised and articulate groups and individuals.

I reckon Education Secretary, Reyes Tamez in NL must have a pretty thick hide and a big ego to cary it through to where he has got it in NL.

So, will the Calderon Government step up their involvement this year, once the drug testing program in NL gets a bit of traction (as it most certainly will) - or was the President's speeech mere rhetoric.?

I'm not certain, but I think there's a good chance that they will. That would pretty much confirm your hypothesis Dkisane and, more importantly, boost SBN's potential markets in Mexico enormously.