Is Drug Testing Amongst High School Youths Beneficial?

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.

Rains, B. (2009). Testing Student Athletes for Drugs is Appropriate. In C. Watkins, Sports and Athletes (pp. 192-196). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

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.

FACTS: Tecumseh Oklahoma School District in 1998 enacts a policy of testing students that compete in extracurricular activities. The policy tests students for illegal or non-prescribed legal drugs, and students are tested when signing up for activities and could be tested randomly or due to suspicious behavior. The School District’s drug testing process included allowing students to provide samples in a closed stall, kept results in a confidential file separate from other school records, not provide results to law enforcement, allows students to retest after a time period, and no effect on a students’ academic records.

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.

The problem with drugs is that the responsibility they require is too big for middle school students. In middle school, kids are just learning how to make decisions on their own. This is one reason that drugs are a problem during this time. Peer pressure is a big factor in starting the drugs. This is how it spreads. Testing middle school students for drugs would be a way to solve the problem before it even begins. Middle school is a time where kids are still developing mentally, physically, and emotionally and experimenting with drugs could be-and is-detrimental to this process. If schools were to test for drugs, and a case was found, the teen that came back positive would be educated right away on why drugs are so dangerous.

Drug testing of high school athletes is a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. “When law enforcement officials conduct a search to uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the “reasonableness” requirement of the Fourth Amendment generally requires them to obtain a judicial warrant” (Shutler). If law enforcement

Brandon had always wanted to play football for his high school team. He had always been one of the slowest and smallest boys in his grade. While in 8th grade, he was introduced to performance enhancing drugs. He was sold on the fact that they would make him stronger, faster, and maybe give him a shot to make the high school football team. During his first year of taking the performance enhancing drug, Brandon had increased strength and self-pride. As others started to see his achievements they started asking how he had made such drastic changes in strength. His response was hard work and determination, but quickly people started to really question these drastic changes. His upcoming

Persuading kids to not do drugs is a tough subject to approach as parents and teachers. When it comes to kids being unhappy, they will more than likely hear that drugs bring happiness to them. With drug testing involved in high schools and middle schools. The students should see that it is no longer an option to do drugs in order for their own self happiness. Students can result to other options that are more acceptable to society, and not to mention activities that are legal. Although these kids may not think the best about the idea of drug testing; consequently, it will have to force them to find happiness by participating in sports, getting a job or socializing with their peers.

High School Students- If they’re going to drug test a student, it has to be random. If a person suspects a person is coming to school drunk/high, they should be able to test them then and there, with or without parent consent. Now if a student reports that another student is out every weekend and goes home after performing in games and gets high

After examining the issues surrounding drug testing students and teachers at the school, I disagree that students and teachers should not be tested. One reason I maintain this positive is that students should not be drug tested so they won’t feel peer pressure. In the article, testing the limits, Peter V. emphasize that drug testing in schools argues that it helps teens fight the pressure to use drugs. As a teen, I have firsthand experience with my friend drinking. However student’s won’t listen, they will still do drugs. In contrast, they agree that students should not be drug tested. Peter V. analysis of testing the limits in positively Negative Results has strengthened my perspective that the students should not be drug tested because drug

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

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.

Drug testing in schools should be required because the rate of consumed drugs could lower, a students' GPA has a better rate of increase and the violence rate is more likely to go down.

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.