Arvo Ilmavirta, CEO of the Lahti Region Educational Consortium, believes that the law will allow for testing if there is a serious suspicion that a student is using drugs. He says that it may come into question in cases of practical tasks where a student on drugs may pose a danger.
According to the Ministry of Education, testing is likely to be focused on students in the fields of social work and healthcare.
"I hope that this will not be seen at all. However, we have to be prepared for individuals that possibly experiment with drugs. We have extensive cooperation in providing student health services. This is where testing could take place, if needed," says Vice-Rector Hannu Heinonen of Lahti's Salpaus Further Education.
A number of institutions of higher education are already making provisions for possible testing of students, one example being the Lahti University of Applied Sciences. According to the head of the Lahti Region Educational Consortium, there have been cases in past years of drug use by students that have come to light, but none have been seen recently.