Drug Testing Debate Essay

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.

One of the reasons why having drug tests on student athletes in not beneficial because of the Cost of them. In the past years, America has spent a lot of money and fundings on drug testing. In the article “ Guilty Until Proven Innocent”, they said that George W. Bush has spent 23 million dollars on drug testing from federal funding (McLure). The thing that bothers people is that America is spending so much money on drug testing. Most of the time that people do drug testing, it's just a waste of time because most people are innocent. While the government is spending that money on drug testing, they could be spending that money on other beneficial things for the country. They could even give that money to the veterans who risked their life for the country that are now in poverty. In the same article, the University of Michigan conducted a survey and they found that drug use when testing and not testing were identical (McLure). This also shows that drug testing is a waste of time and that they are making an investment on something not beneficial. Even when the school advisors say it's not that much money, it all adds up across America. If the cost was way cheaper, drug tests would be a little more agreeable. Drug tests are a waste of time and are a waste of money. Lots of people just think that drug tests just say if someone is positive or if someone is negative. They never think what's going through students mind before and after the test.

With high school budgets dropping, and more athletes joining the sports teams the possibility of drug testing every athlete becomes less likely daily. School’s budgets cannot afford to test every student athlete. With prices rising and budgets dropping, the 100,000-dollar price tag to test 600 Florida high school students doesn’t look too appealing to the schools budget, which is why the program fell through shortly after. Also, in 2007, high schools in Texas performed more than 10,000 drug tests on student athletes but the program shrunk to thirty-three percent of its original size (“How Effective”). Knowing that the worth of a single dollar is plummeting and prices at an all-time high, is drug testing our student athletes necessary? To just test 600 students (the size of some senior classes) in Florida is roughly 100,000-dollars. Seeing schools waste money like that on unproven programs with limited results is shameful. Drug testing students in mass quantities or even testing at all is costing high schools a pretty penny and all drug testing programs are failing because of lack of funding. To get more in depth, to break down each individual testing price can cost schools a fortune. Now know, the cost of a single test can range between 15-35 dollars, which could lead to tens of thousands annually. Over an eight-year period Texas high schools spent an estimated 10 million dollars on urine tests for student athletes

Do you know someone who is a student athlete? What would you think if he/she consumed illegal drugs? What would you do if you found out he/she died from drugs? Student athletes are not aware of the long-term consequences of consuming drugs in their life. Adults need to step up and approach student athletes about the danger of the impact it can have on their life. Many student athletes will consume drugs in their teenage years to improve their performance in the sports they play. Athletes are not educated well enough in high school about the harm that a drug can do to their body. While drug testing invades the athlete's personal life, every high school should drug test their student athletes before

Over the past couple of years drugs have grown within the younger generations. Nearly one in five teens have taken prescription medications to get “high,” according to a recent study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (Carroll 23). Most schools that put mandatory drug testing in place are schools that had, and still have, drug problems within their schools (Yamaguchi). These are few examples of mandatory drug testing in high schools athletics and why it is needed across the country.

The k12 drug testing dilemma, when someone hears that they think about kids from kindergarten to a senior in highschool. In the magazine called “The k12 testing dilemma By: Lacey Ryan” She is explaining about an Ohio student that overdosed. “A grandparent of a student recently said: ‘I applaud your efforts, I just wish it had happened sooner,’” Lacey Ryan says. “We hope that it will start a conversation between adults and kids.” The reason this ties in with the thesis is that it is talking about a kid that overdosed on a drug that is illegal. In the next paragraph I am going to talk about The new standardized testing for athletes.

Steve Klotz is an assistant superintendent in Missouri at the Maryville School District. He believes that children should get drug tested at the age of thirteen or fourteen to be able to play a sport. Many agree to have drug tests in Middle school not only to scare them but to see how they would change for a sport they love. Steve said “We wanted to do it to create a general awareness of drug prevention.” His idea is to prevent students from doing drugs at a very young age. Doing drugs or dealing with drugs at this age could ruin their future. Parents should agree with implementing drug tests for

“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.

When it come to drugs now in 2016, there are many people around us that we don't know are using them. Sports such as, tennis, soccer, basketball, football ,etc. are definitely competitive. There is an absolute necessity for schools to include drug testing programs for the safety and fairness of their students, but one of the problems schools face if the lack of funds.

Have you ever personally experienced Random Drug Testing? Many people have different views on the topic. The bottom line is that it is important and may help students stray away from the type of lifestyle they may endure while abusing specific substances. The simplicity of random drug testing could change someone’s life for the better, to begin what is the scientific definition of Drug Testing? How does it work? Drug Testing is the biological analysis of a specific specimen on a human body to determine if the use of drugs or other illicit substances are present. Although there is complications with the physical drug test, we can help to overcome it and help students in high school at a young age save their future. Random Drug Testing in high

“DON’T DO DRUGS!” This phrase is constantly repeated and everywhere you look at schools. They start preaching this to students at a young age to ensure that when the children are older they don’t participate in taking drugs. It has been recorded by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse that around seventeen percent of high school students are either drinking, smoking, or using drugs sometime throughout the school day (Huffpost, 2012). Imagine how many students are abusing or using drugs outside of school. Due to this high rate of drug and alcohol abuse drug testing in schools has become very popular. Random drug testing is a concept of many procedures and tests that ensure the capture of drug abusers and misusers in a legal manner.

There are many reasons why the school must have drug testing. A student must submit a urine that should be used for detection.(Mo/2011/par.1). The school must have a mission that there should be no drug users in the campus. Everyone must succeed in life. One reason is to preparethe studentsfor profitable employment. They are schools which have advisory councils that are made up of businesses taht would be potential businesses to hire the students that support their expertise. Through this, the school is moving forward toward its mission. If someone is tested positive, there should be no punishment. They have to meet with a counselor and they can participate in an activity which can help in avoiding drug abuse and

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.

Did you know that 23% of drug-free schools conduct drug tests on students? The amount of random drug testing is increasing all around America. Schools are using random drug testing, to stop drug use. Little do they know, high school students are known to do as they please, outside of school and their parents, students won’t be changing their actions because of these tests. Lastly, teachers should stick to teaching students, not overanalyzing what they do during the free time. Overall, student drug tests should not be required or allowed within schools.

It seems that drugs have become a major epidemic within teenagers in the last few years. There is only so much that can be done to try and eliminate drug use, while not dramatically changing anything in the community. Drug testing the district’s student athletes provides many reasons that it is a worthwhile expense. Lawyers, Mark Vetter and Daniel Chanen, stated in the Sports Law Institute Newsletter “First, student-athletes were the leaders of the drug culture” (Vetter and Chanen ¶3). This simple statement proves that athletes need to be drug tested; it will improve multiple circumstances within the district and the lives of athletes. Drug testing student athletes at the high school level is a step every school district needs to take in order to improve their schools, and the students’ lifestyles despite the high price tag on these tests.