Argumentative Essay: Random Drug Testing In Schools

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.

Drug abuse has always been a very delicate question as it always it deals with the health, well-being and even lives of human beings belonging to any country. Many people have argued that mandatory drug testing is a violation of their civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The Fourth Amendment grants you the right against unreasonable searches and seizures, otherwise known as a person's right to privacy. However, employers have the right to know whether or not the people working under them are stable to do their jobs. Indeed, for safety of all the humans randomly drug testing is the best way to maintain the quality of the employees.

Some people are discussing whether drug testing student athletes should be allowed in school or not, I think it should be allowed and here are some reasons why. Parents continue to argue with coaches saying that drug testing shouldn’t be allowed because it makes the children nervous and it makes it hard to focus on them. Some coaches agree that drug testing shouldn’t be allowed, they say that the kids can’t handle the pressure of the possibility of the results coming out incorrect. If students continue to take drug tests, I think it should be monthly based and not random so that they know when it is and it would no longer be random. If students had to take monthly based drug tests it would help the team as a whole because everyone would be healthy, it would also create a better community, and it also makes everything fairer.

Drug testing has been going on for a long time and they have been used for different occupations. They have been used for teachers, medical jobs, and even jobs people wouldn't think had to have drug tests. The sad thing is they are using them on students. When a person uses drug tests on students for no apparent reason, that's just basically torturing them. This is occurring all throughout America and is really pointless. A child would not want some person they don't really know seeing their personal information and knowing if they are guilty or not. Having drug tests for student athletes is not beneficial because of the Extreme Cost, the Mental Health Effects, and the Fourth Amendment.

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

However, drug testing is constitutional and has proven to be useful nationwide in America. A simple search on the World Wide Web will unveil the truth about the constitutionality of drug testing in America. Two major cases from Supreme Court, Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton and Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County, et al, Petitioners v. Lindsay Earls et al, involved the challenging of officials’ ability to drug test students in order to participate in extracurricular activities. In both cases, the ruling resulted in a majority declaring these test requirements to be constitutional (“Prevention”). Along with the fact that testing has held its constitutionality in Supreme Court, evaluations have proven that the testing process effectively minimizes drug use among high school students in extracurricular activities. “Some 16 percent of students subject to drug testing reported using substances...in the past 30 days, compared with 22 percent of comparable students in schools without the program (‘The Effectiveness’).” This fact means that six percent less students in the high schools studied were not using drugs in the schools which had been implementing the drug tests. If this same number would be a proportionate reflection of all high schools in America, six percent more of high school students - about 3.3 million teenagers - would not be utilizing drugs and contracting the painful consequences later in life (“Fast Facts”). That is a humongous number which means a humongous number of kids would be drug-free, living healthier lives with even brighter futures. The constitutional drug testing in high school athletics could save over 3 million kids from having to endure possible years of life with painful illnesses like cancer during

If the high school that you went to did randomized drug testing on athletes would you have been fine with it? Drug testing is violating the athletes Fourth Amendment right. The testing is a waste of money by the school. Drug testing doesn’t deter student athletes from doing drugs if he or she know it is randomized. Randomized drug testing of high school athletes is a bad idea.

Forcing students to participating in these tests aren’t in fact a total positive on their lives. Many student athletes may feel separated from their peers because of these tests, which could very well end their continuation in athletics. In an article placed by the American Liberty Civils Union, stated that singling out students isn’t really fair. Think About it; Enforcing a rule on those who want to do what they love, only by giving up what they love. My argument is not that students love drugs, ironically, their addiction leads to bondage. The impulse of testing may in fact cause students to indulge in their substance use even further, and end their goals in athletics if necessary. All things considered, this doesn’t justify the actions taken. While a percent of students may be in the category described, a larger portion can be benefitted by the testing. It is even said in the same article that, “Mandatory drug tests are constitutional for after school sports and other extracurricular activities”(ACLU: KnowYourRights 3). To end drug usage in sports, can very well lead to the end of drug usage in the student body as a

They actually think by giving drug tests to students that want participate in extracurricular activities and sports are beneficial to the student. They figured that if someone was taking drugs they could help them stop taking them. There is also two Supreme Court Cases that say its legal for athletes to be randomly tested. Later on they added that if you were in a club you will have to be tested along with the athletes. In this source it says “Once drug testing for student athletes was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court, then U.S. President George H.W. Bush established federal funding for its use and it grew in popularity.” This shows that even the president is for drug testing throughout the school systems. He provided them financially to give drug tests out to the

“Why aren’t you doing softball this year? You're the best player on the team and your batting average is almost perfect!” I asked. “They did drug tests and I failed mine, so I can’t play this season.” I herd under a mumbled breathe. I shouted, “that is why schools should not have drug tests, they are restraining great athletes from doing what they do best! You have great grades, participate in extracurricular activities, and even help with food pantries outside of school so why would they be punishing you for this?” Schools should not be drug testing student athletes for these reasons: drugs do not determine the way students play, forbids them from playing a sport they like or are good at, and it restricts some students from participating in extracurricular activities because they are scared they might get drug tested.

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.

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

Many high schools across the country have brought much attention to the idea of giving random drug tests to students in high school. The newfound interest in student drug testing may be as a result of recent polls, which have shown an increase in drug use among high school students. Many teachers, parents, and members of school comities are for the drug testing, while most students and some parents feel that this would be a violation of students rights as Americans, which is true.

If health organizations oppose the testing why should it be allowed, obviously health care providers and researchers know what is best for the young adults. These researchers and health care providers spend their lives learning how to better the health of the American people. A few of the organizations that oppose are the: American Public Health Association, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, and ACLU . One of the reasons why ACLU opposes is because it is intrusive, also because it is an invasion of privacy to ask a kid to take a drug test . What ACLU believes is what many other organizations believe as well, this testing is an invasion of privacy, and also will be counterproductive and lead students to other destructive things.

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