Mandatory 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.

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

Imagine a student who has always wanted to play football and finally gets the chance to. All he needs to do is get drug tested. But he has serious medical issues and has to take different types of medicines that are not allowed. The drug tests would show that he is taking drugs and never get to be on the football team. Student-athletes should not be drug tested because it violates the Fourth Amendment, it is expensive, and it bans necessary medications.

In recent years the number of athletes caught using drugs has increased dramatically. The use of a illegal or unprescribed drugs can cause serious problems and unfairness in many ways. Certain drugs can cause harm to the user and the people around the user, most student athletes do not even know what they are putting into their bodies. With all the risks many persons propose student athletes to be drug tested at random.

According to the New York Times great athletes were involved in drug unethical behavior over the past ten years. This brought a big attention to the schools across the nation to start drug testing student athletes. Giving this some thought school's drug testing students is a great idea.

Drug test on student athletes use to be very common in many schools but now there is not any drug test for the students which is very pathetic because there are so many other great athletes that could take their spot and actually get a scholarship for college. Besides ruining their own future, student athletes should be required to take a drug test because they could be ruining someone else’s future. Ruining someone else’s future because of their bad habits is really just a horrible thing to do. If a student athlete is not required to take a drug test but they are on drugs anyway then that student could be ruining someone else’s future, and what that means is that there could be another student who is a great athlete with good grades, and attendance but can not get a scholarship because the student on drugs did, then that student will feel so horrible about themselves and always questioning themselves on why they just could not receive a scholarship, and it is all because of the student on drugs. If student athletes need their pain medication they should go down to the main office they have, many of the student use the pain medication as drugs rather than doing actual drugs. In the article on the website www.tandfonline.com the author states, “Fewer athletes

Mandatory drug testing for high school athletes should be required because it decreases drug use in schools. By having mandatory drug testing in schools the risk for youth becoming “addicted” to drugs is lowered. The risk for drugs within a school is lowered when there is mandatory drug testing for athletes because most drug problems within a school start with steroid use within certain sports in a high school. Steroids are used to help

The focus athletes have throughout the season is tremendous. Athletes train to compete; they train to win. Yet, once the time comes, they can’t compete because of their choice. Their mistake was that they did drugs. Studies show that 20% of student athletes claim to participate in drug use; yet that’s only the few that have been reported(NCAA 1). To stop this addiction is something high schools need to push for, and in order to do this, schools need to hold their students accountable. High schools should have mandatory drug test for student athletes before competing.

“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.

Student athletes must take mandatory drug tests because it is unfair in competition, it negatively impact’s the team and it will cause health issues both immediately and in the future.

593,000 teenagers have tried inhalants such as glue, gasoline, or nitrous oxide to get high for the first time in the last year(qtd “The Truth About Inhalants"). 1 in 5 students use marijuana regularly, 18 percent of teenagers use tobacco products, 14 percent abuse prescription drugs(“Drug Facts”). To counter this, schools have began to adopt policies which require students who wish to join a club, play a sport, or do school activities to sign up for random drug tests. Its becoming very popular in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. Although many parents say that drug testing in high schools and middle school is an invasion of privacy the NFL, NCAA, US government, and I agree that such tests protect students and athletes from the many dangers of drug use.

Many students, across the world, take drugs who are athletes. They think that because many of their friends do it and they want to fit in and be “cool.” This can also cause peer pressure if you don't plan on doing drugs and you have friends that do so. Student athletes should be drug tested before they could be allowed to play because most of the drugs student athletes take can improve their game performance, the effect of drugs can be harmful, and it can affect their future.

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

There is evidence that shows that students who are involved in athletics are no more likely to use drugs than any other people in the student body. (Bailey, William) There should be a reason for the schools to single out athletes from the other students for drug testing. The only appropriate reasons for treating athletes differently by giving them drug tests would be if they more likely to use drugs than other students, they were at

There are many concerns that could keep public schools from not using drug testing (Russell 168). Drug testing can become inefficient and extremely costly; consequently, some schools who have had drug testing had to drop the program (Russell 168). For example, a Ohio public school came to the conclusion that their $35,000 per year drug testing program was no longer needed since they could not keep funding them (Russell 168). One would understand why such events could become very frustrating for school districts (Evans 450).