Case Study: Should Students Be Drug Tested In Middle School?

A reduction of fifty percent in smoking of cigarettes among juveniles could cause a reduction in use of marijuana among juveniles by as much as 16.5-28.5% (Ochsner, 2006). The high end of this range makes the assumption that half of the fifty seven percent of juveniles who used cigarettes would not have used marijuana if they had not experimented with cigarettes. The low end makes the assumption that forty two percent of the fifty seven percent of juveniles who first smoked cigarettes might try marijuana even without trying cigarettes first.

I believe that drug tests should be allowed in middle school because it could save a kid’s future. Also, Drugs can mess you up so much they can screw up your life in a heartbeat it's unreal how many kids do drugs thinking there cool but they don't know what drugs can do to you. These kids are pretty much falling through the cracks and not passing that grade. If they're caught early enough they could be stopped and put in a better direction. With proper counseling as well as supervision, a student that was heading towards failure can be saved. Next, what would it be like if your parents knew you did drugs? Finally, even though drug test can devastate people it would save so many kids from failure.

Say no to drugs! Goggle search said “Drugs are one of the top causes of teen deaths and suicides in the United States.” Drugs have been around for years and each year the death rates and suicide rates have increased dramatically especially in teen students. This is why it is very important that parents teach their kid at an early age about drugs. The Teachers and school staff are trying their best to teach the kids that drugs are not cool. The schools think it is best that all Middle School Students should be drug tested. The drug-testing program serves as a deterrent for middle school students that are encountering drugs of all kinds, including steroids, alcohol and marijuana.

With this high percentage of students using marijuana and the availability of the drug being so vast, teenagers find it hard to stay away from this substance.

Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug used among our teenagers in the United States. Research shows that 42% of high school seniors have smoked Cannabis, 18% within the past month and 5% smoked daily and 1 in 6 are addicts. More than 64% of teenagers reported that marijuana is very easily available (Gary). Unfortunately, some parents live in a world of denial and say “It’s not my kid. My child doesn’t smoke.” Unbeknown to us, there are unfavorable concerns for many young marijuana abusers such as the risk of addiction, poor school performances and a “gateway” to other lethal substances. Smoking marijuana increases respiratory diseases, impaired immune function, cognitive problems and motivational impairment. (National Institute on Drug Abuse). It is the leading cause of abnormal cognitive development which persists long after abstinence. Marijuana is the main drug used by children who seek emergency medical treatments and screened following an arrest or autopsies (Dennis et at).

It is recognized that more students are smoking before school and during their lunch periods. A police report said that, “…school officials call him and he talks to the kids, but it is a little more difficult now to cite them if they aren't caught in the act. They can say that they were around an adult medical marijuana user and weren't smoking themselves” (Lofholm). Without changing Amendment 64 to add regulations to strongly discourage access and use by our youth things will only get worse. Parents and other legal adult users need to be educated about the increased marijuana incidents on school grounds, as well as the harms of marijuana on the young developing brain.

After years of delays, rising tensions and hours of discussion, a proposal to randomly drug-test Zionsville High School students was approved Monday night.The Zionsville School Board voted 3-2 in favor of the new policy which requires any students who elect to participate in extracurricular activities or park on school property to consent to random drug tests.Students who fail a drug test will be required to enter and complete a drug counseling program.The approved plan is a variation of one supported years ago by the Zionsville Student Rights Union. They also proposed that only students who park or participate in afterschool programs be tested, but the union plan wanted students to face no consequences at school, and for positive results to

A rule that Monett High School should have is mandatory drug testing for all athletes I say this because if athletes are suppose to be are role models in school and they aren’t doing whats right them by are they called role models they are suppose to show us what to do not what not to do. That is what I think my school should have as a rule.

The University of Michigan “annually survey in 2010 ” identified that adolescents nationwide, will start using drugs from 8, 10, and 12-grade use drugs, which include alcohol, Tabaco, marijuana, and other drugs; the survey shows the increased of marijuana use among high school seniors to daily basis. Consumption is the highest in comparison with the previous study nearly 65% of those students use marijuana as their primary drug of choice.

Meanwhile marijuana has not accounted for a single death in the United States. This has led many teenagers to switch over to marijuana and by legalizing it the switch to a safer drug would continue and it would also make it cheaper than other illicit drugs. This correlation can be seen by the statistics provided by the NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse) 2011 study. About 25% of teens surveyed said they tried marijuana at least once last year, a statistically significant rise of about 4% since 2007. Additionally, 6.6% of 12th graders also admitted to smoking weed daily (Gwynne). The study has also shown historic lows of use of alcohol and cigarettes since 1981.Over the past 20 years, from 1991 to 2011, the proportion of 8th graders reporting any use of alcohol in the prior 30 days has fallen by about half (from 25% to 13%), among 10th graders by more than one third (from 43% to 27%), and among 12th graders by about one fourth (from 54% to 40%), (Gwynne). As teenagers will always continue to experiment with illegal substances, its best we influence them with the safest drug, marijuana. This change is already happening as NIDA studies have shown teenager marijuana use at historic highs and alcohol and cigarette use at historic lows, and will continue if marijuana is perceived as safe and becomes cheaper with

Even though it is illegal if the drug abusers have not been caught they will continue to use the drug and use others. Many adolescences experiment with marijuana due to curiosity and peer pressure studies have shown that the use of marijuana at a young age causes the adolescences to want to try more dangerous narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. An article titled “Evidence That Marijuana Is a Gateway to other Illicit Drug Use” by Joseph Gfoerer, Li-Tzy Wu, and Michael Penne states that, “the highest prevalence of use of heroin, cocaine, and psychotherapeutics in the lifetime was noted among those who initiated marijuana before they were 15 years old. With many young people trying strong narcotics illegally it is no surprise that other young people will also become more apt to try these heavier drugs. The article, “Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug for Teens” by Joseph Calfifano discuses why marijuana is so dangerous for teens and how the gateway effect plays part in this problem. The article states that marijuana use is a “signal of trouble”, the troubles include lack of growth, focus, and motor skills. He also brings up the gateway effect in the article the statistics he uses include, “Twelve to seventeen year olds who smoke marijuana are eighty five times more likely to use cocaine than those who would not.” These statists are very strong in

Those who refuse to give consent to be tested, or whose parents refuse consent, might face discrimination. It isn't clear weather testing serves any purpose. In some cases, a test might reveal that drugs were taken outside school hours, a time when the school has limited authority over a student. And problems might arise when drug testing is allied with issues of discipline, what right does the school have to discipline a student for actions outside of the classroom.

The second reason that the government should not legalize marijuana is that doing so will send the message that is okay to use other psychoactive drugs. Legalizing marijuana could result in advertising of this drug to adolescents. A study was conducted during 2003 showing that roughly 48 percent of twelfth graders reported using alcohol in the past thirty days and 24 percent reported smoking cigarettes in the past thirty days. Household access to illicit substances is coupled with a greater risk of marijuana use among both younger and older adolescents. This is often coupled with parental drug use which sends the message that it is okay to use psychoactive drugs (Joffe & Yancy, 2004, p. e636). The general idea is that we, as people, shouldn’t be making it easier for our children to get drugs. Thus far, it is shown that there is a struggle to educate the youth to avoid the use of psychoactive drugs. However, certain organizations, such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), have made solid efforts to

In my opinion I believe every school has their set of rules. The students should have random search for illegal substance for those students that have extracurricular activity should be require to do the drug testing for their own health. Especially for those that drive to school they can cause accidents. It’s better to have the students tested to be on the safe side. Also why have students that want to learn in school and get a better education would suffer for those that do drugs an act a fool. I mean having good health why throw it to the trash when you can become someone in life.

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.