Persuasive Essay: Random Drug Testing In Schools

In the United States, 27.2 percent of high school student participated in illicit drug use. While this number has lowered in the past two decades, dug use among teens is still a large issue. To combat this problem many schools have opted to drug test their students. Schools do have the right to drug test their students but there are constitutional limits in which a school can require mandatory drug testing. The constitutional limits include; health risks and personal injury risks.

Some say the reason for drug testing is because some believe that students who are drug free shouldn’t be surrounded by students who aren’t drug free, or that if the child is found to be using drugs

In many high schools around the country, student athletes are using drugs. “The percent of students that have drunk alcohol is 72.5% while the number of students who have used marijuana is 36.8%” (Report: Nearly Half of High School Students Using Drugs, Alcohol). The students believe that since they are athletes that they do not need to abide by the rules because they feel more superior and that the narcotic will not hurt or affect them. Implementing random drug tests for athletes will create a positive image and not hurt others or themselves. Schools need to have drug tests for student athletes because drugs effect relationships, using drugs have consequences, and lastly they have a major effect on the body.

Slowly pushing students to become addicts, drug testing high school student athletes may or may not be to blame. In Facts & Statistics on Random Drug Testing of High School Students, Dr. M.H. Davis stated, “In the early 1990s, many school districts began to look into drug testing as a way to curb student drug use, which led to two U.S. Supreme Court cases involving student privacy. The court upheld the constitutionality of drug testing student athletes in 1995, and in 2002, the court expanded high school drug testing policies to include all students who participate in a competitive extracurricular activity. In those rulings, the court stated deterring student drug use was more important than privacy” (Davis). Drug testing high school athletes

Roughly a thousand of student athletes in Beaufort County public schools. Were randomly tested for and counted for drugs. In and about, merely twenty three were accounted for being positive. Having some parents to take over their child’s legal rights that were wrongly being broken off. Putting their fourth and fifth amendment in danger, knocking them to feel unsecured and a intrusion in their property. This is no way to treat athletes in this situation, they should be always on their game and not no drug test. Especially giving out over thirty test out per month, hurting the schools if given a bad report. At any rate not, nor should a mandatory drug test should not be given out roughly thirty times. But only convincing parent or their child

Students who were randomly drug tested were less likely to use them in later years. There is a 12% average of students in 8th grade that use drugs. New Jersey published the results of a six year study of drug-testing preventions among New Jersey Middle School students. The students asked their parents if they could get randomly drug tested, in the later years the drug abuse reduced. Almost every school now does drug testing for students engaged in sports or extracurricular activities.The primary purpose of drug testing is not a punishment, but to prevent drug abuse, and help them to become drug-free. Drug testing middle school students is a good influence, doing drugs affects the brain and body massively at a young age, many studies show positive

Testing high school students for drugs isn't the wrong thing to do. High school students taking drugs are wrong because they can damage their bodies and even lead to killing themselves. Random drug testing of student athletes has become more common in some school districts and is probably being recognized in many others. Promoters of random drug inspection policies believe they will knock down the use of drugs and alcohol, at least with students and athletes. Not a lot of people would go against this desirable outcome; though, the system being utilized, the means, have heightened questions in the minds of many

The big controversy right now within the government and high schools is whether or not random drug testing should be legal in schools. There are many reasons why it should not be legalized, one reason being it goes against the fourth amendment. Why should we have testing in schools when many major health organizations oppose it? All it will do is make teens turn to other illegal and counterproductive things. These are many reasons why drug testing should not be allowed in high schools.

According to the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, school based drug testing has been occurring for about three decades. It is proclaimed that it in fact is constitutional to drug test students in all grades.( Indiana University 1). I agree with this statement because we are given the chance to learn and be educated for 18 years and more, and it is only fair to be expected to show up sober.

Furthermore, teenagers who are constantly learning about the dangers of drug use from their parents are 50% less likely to do drugs, than those who don’t. Even so, random drug tests in schools have been a controversial issue for at least

Supreme Court ruling in support of random interscholastic student athlete drug testing, more schools than ever before have begun either mandatory, reasonable suspicion or voluntary types of drug testing as they battle drug abuse by their students”. We should make drug tests mandatory because they could save the lives of many kids. Also, they could protect the school and the community from the drugs going around. If we make them mandatory, then, we could create a better impression on the community and schools to other people. Drug testing could hurt the lives of many people but is very concerning when it comes to your child and his life outside of your

Introducing the fear to students on drug testing that will directly affect them, will most likely decrease the use of drugs being abused. The president of the Institute for Behavior and Health explains that RSDT (Random Student Drug Test) could be used on any athlete, any day, and any time without notice (DuPont et al ¶6). Making the testing random will help eliminate any cheating or strategizing that the students who would test positive could be doing. Keith Ablow, MD and psychiatrist published an article in 2011 said that, both varsity and junior varsity teams should be tested with results kept private (¶6). To only test Varsity athletes would be unacceptable because JV athletes could cause just as much harm to athletes around them as to themselves. To make it fair and because kids follow by example, coaches would test also (Ablow ¶ 9). When a positive test appears, there should be punishment, but not to the extent of expulsion. Guidelines to RSDT programs say it is not supposed to end up in punishment for drug tests (DuPont et al ¶25). Not giving any punishment would defeat the purpose because then kids would not care to stop their drug use. Random drug tests to not only student-athletes, but students in general will promote a healthier lifestyle without drug use (DuPont et al ¶5). Students should be on edge not knowing if they are going to be tested or

“You can't help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do themselves” (-Abraham lincoln) we all have right so we don't get drug tested when they want it school can force us to drug test for them.they are trying to force us to do things we don't want these is becoming a problem for students that feel these is not good because there is good people that dont do drugs.

Why should we drug test students in schools? Some seem to think drug tests could have a negative effect on students and their relationship with their community amongst their school, while others think drug tests should definitely find their way into the school system. Really, drug tests should be implemented into all school systems. Schools aren’t looking to punish students for going on the wrong track, rather they aspire to lead them back onto the correct way. The age of students in high schools generally range from 14-18 years of age, meaning they are not suppose to be doing any form of drugs. Students need to be tested at school to make sure they are on the right track and are focusing on their school work for a better future, rather

Supreme Court broadened the authority of public schools to test students for illegal drugs. Voting 5 to 4 in Pottawatomie County v. Earls, the court ruled to allow random drug tests for all middle and high school students participating in competitive extracurricular activities (National Institute of Mental Health 1). As for drug testing college students and athletes, receiving scholarships should be seen as a privilege, not a right. Colleges could also use the random testing method, as described earlier, to lower costs. With this, a sort of random drawing of which students will get tested could occur. While not every student would be tested, the possibility of being tested would hopefully act as a deterrent. No matter what method is used for testing, ignoring drug abuse and not using any sort of deterrent only makes the problem worse. As one article reminds readers, ignoring alcohol and drug abuse in college only lends to the continuous negative culture on campuses, “Drunkenness should not mark half-time at college football games, nor should Ritalin and Adderall abuse be the price of performance” (Califano