Voluntary testing, mandatory testing

VHO - Recently, authorities were surprised by the news that several well-known artists had been arrested for drug use. The identities, time, and location of the incidents were very specific and clear. Information about the incident quickly flooded the media, raising public suspicion about the unethical lifestyles of many artists. There was also information that some other fairly famous artists "voluntarily" took drug tests and publicly announced "negative" results. Did anyone force you to take the test? No.

According to the details of the incident, these artists went for testing and then publicly announced their "cleanliness" to show the public, dispelling lingering rumors. Another well-known female artist, when asked by netizens why she didn't get tested and publicly announce it, replied that she wasn't afraid to get tested, but there was no way she would go if she had drugs in her system!

This incident reminded me of the years responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. When I rode my motorbike into the former Ba To district, right at the border there was a team of "Covid testers," using a nasal swab to test anyone passing by. Only after receiving a negative result were they allowed to proceed further into the area. At that time, almost everywhere was like that. For public health and disease prevention, the government had implemented this policy. It was a mandatory test, mandated by the government, and everyone had an obligation to comply.

To be precise, besides mandatory testing for the entire community, without exception, there are other types of mandatory testing for specific individuals. This is the case when an individual shows signs of violating regulations regarding prohibited substances, as has been the case with some artists recently discovered. Tests can also be used to determine if drivers have consumed alcohol or drugs.

And it's important to note this: The authority to mandate testing must be assigned by a state agency, not just anyone in society. The public has the right to monitor whether the test takers are impartial. They also have the right to report any citizen (including artists) using banned substances to the authorities, but they do not have the right to force or compel anyone to take the test. Even spreading unfounded suspicion is a violation of another person's personal freedom.

Therefore, the case of an artist voluntarily taking a drug test to show they lead a healthy life still seems... strange. Through this incident, public opinion might suspect something else: that no one suspects him of using drugs, but perhaps he's exploiting the situation, taking the test simply to "boost" his reputation?

If such public opinion truly exists, then the online community itself needs to find a stopping point: Spreading the suspicion that most artists use drugs is a sweeping generalization, and telling people to get tested themselves is a violation of their personal freedom.

Legally, the law in our country, as well as in other countries, is based on the principle of "presumption of innocence": Artists, or any other citizen, are not obligated to prove they did not use drugs. If someone accuses another of drug use, the accuser is responsible for proving it, and the state's law enforcement agencies must intervene.

It's also possible that in certain professions, there's a higher risk of drug use, and if necessary, the state may mandate monthly testing in its laws, for example. However, that's within the state's authority. Unless the state has a policy requiring it, no one has the right to force others to take a test.

People can take many tests to know their physical condition, and whether or not they want to share that information is a personal choice. However, testing under pressure from public opinion (online community) seems unusual. Whether or not the online community actually exerted pressure as you mentioned is another matter. Suppose every individual in society, or just artists alone, voluntarily took drug tests and then "boasted" about their innocence online; the internet would probably be overwhelmed by this pointless issue.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/giai-tri/test-tu-nguyen-test-bat-buoc-233211.html