Why Drug Tests Are Bad

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.

The performance of random drug testing has seen its fair share of scrutiny in terms of cost, test result reliability, and constitutionality. Drug testing has been fraught with controversy for decades by both employers and employees alike and there are three valid reasons as to why the testing is not ideal. One of the main elements that is a cause for concern is an employee’s invasion of privacy. When an employee tests positive, there is a strong possibility and fear that they will be permanently stigmatized. Any explanation given to the employer, whether it’s voluntary or forced on contingency of employment, violates their HIPAA Rights. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, has referred to the practice as a "needless indignity" (DeCew, 1994).

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.

Mandatory Drug testing within schools reverses the legal principle of innocent until proven guilty and also violates the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution. Without suspicion of drug use, there is no probable cause to test student-athletes for drugs, thus violating the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unlawful searches. Drug testing student-athletes without acquiring sufficient evidence to base accusations on, is essentially asking them to provide the evidence of their own guilt which violates the Fifth Amendment right to protect

Life is all about making decisions, and the ones an individual makes has an impact on him or her for the rest of their life. Drug testing high schools athletes could benefit them and their community in many ways. It will keep the kids healthier and make them pick a priority and help them mature. Drug testing is a great way to insure that the kids stay safe and out of trouble.High school athletes need to set up a good future for themselves, without drugs hindering them from their goals.

The testing causes teens to become more aware and careful but it will not stop from them smoking. It is a waste of money and time because those kids are making their own decisions to resort to drugs. The government cannot make the decisions for the people only guide them in the right direction. The researches found that female rates of drug abuse went down in the high school community only in the schools with a “positive” environment. That shows that females who thought that what they were doing was wrong then had the resources to stop doing so because life got harder for those in a harsh environment since more pressure was put on to keep there actions under the table. People, especially youth, will do what they want to do no matter what. The best thing for the government to do is give students the ability to learn from whatever decision they make and use that tax money for something more productive for the nation. If the government really wants to see an improvement in the use of drugs in high schools then they should improve the environments and knowledge presented to the students about drug use. Once a student fails a random drug test their plan for their future can change extremely. Like me for instance, if one of our students failed a drug test at school then they would be asked to leave which means losing the opportunity to represent a highly respected team and would most likely lose a scholarship. That’s years of practice and

Testing kids will help the people who are doing them and people and try to help them quit and it can teach other kids that drugs can really harm you and get you into trouble. Although getting tested costs a lot of money, it will help kids and make the environment a lot safer for everyone around.

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

In the article “Drug-Testing Reduces Students' Drug Use, Study Says.” It is statistically proven that drug testing reduces students drug use. “Students involved in school random drug testing reported less substance use than their peers in high school, that didn’t have drug testing programs.” (Samuels). If students want to be involved in extracurricular activities, they will stop the drug abuse if a drug test was mandatory just to be able to do so. Extracurricular activities is a privilege not a right and will continue to be. Drug testing could change so many lives and people really fail to comprehend that just because of the amount of the test behind it. On an average 47,000 people lose their lives to drugs a year. It could be possible that half of those were teenagers.

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.

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.

In order to keep organization ethical as it relates to drug testing, the U.S. Supreme Court has approved four methods for drug testing. The organization can request a blood, breath, hair, or urine tests. These tests will not harm the job candidate or employee. The company will send the job candidate or employee to an off-site medical

Many students used prohibited drugs. Schools must required drug testing to filter out the drug users. If they already know the people who used drugs, they will proceed to counseling. In that way, they will know the reasons of the students why they are taking prohibited drugs. The guidance counselor is the one who will guide the students for good. If someone is detected using drugs it is not important that they are caught doing wrong and they will not be kicked out of the school.(Pemberton/2011/par.3) Instead, he or she will be helped by the school for guidance. Mandatory drug test can help for student's future career. If he or she is not guided by the school, he or she will not succeed in life. Mandatory drug test can also help from student's safety. It can benefit a lot someone's

However from the point of view of a teacher, parent or whoever is for the testing, it is done to protect the students. Many children or young adults that experiment with drugs do not understand what the drugs can do to their minds and bodies. With the testing schools will be able to determine which students need help and can better focus on treatment, and helping the student to understand the consequences of their actions not necessarily disciplinary but on the issue of health. As far as helping the students goes it is much easier to teach the students about drugs when it is known which students are doing them or have tried them. Time will not have to be wasted by explaining, "why drugs should not be taken" to a student that is taking them wile they could focus on treatment to deter the student from taking them.

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.