Drug Testing in Schools

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/nyregion/new-jersey/23Rparent.html?ref=long-island

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19426004.500-schools-urged-into-divisive-drug-crackdown.html

Drug Testing in Schools

When I was in high school, I know there were many “good” students who were curious about drugs and tried them, including the athletes. In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that schools could randomly drug test students who participated in extra curricular activities. We never had drug testing while I was in high school, but every sport I played I had to sign an agreement that I would not use drugs or alcohol during the sport’s season.

Though this did not deter student athletes from participating in the use of drugs or alcohol. My junior year, there was a big party after one of the boys basketball game and many of the basketball player were drinking. During the party someone took pictures, which included the players drinking, and brought them to school the next week. Kids being kids, where showing their friends the pictures and some how a teacher got a hold of the pictures. The basketball players in the pictures where not allowed to play the rest of the season.

I know this situation is happening in many schools around the nation. Middle school and high school students are curious about drugs and alcohol, and may feel peer pressure to try/use them. Currently only 7% of schools are randomly testing students for drugs. Both the articles linked above, were not in favor of random drug testing for students. Besides for parents being against the random testing, the American Academy of Pediatrics and a survey of 400 physicians were not in support of random drug testing. There have been no studies that prove random drug testing has lowered of number of drug abuse cases. Schools are spending valuable money on drug testing when they do not even know true cost, risks or benefits. Money is already tight in schools, and there are many other effective ways to increase awareness of drug and alcohol abuse.

Another issue I have with the random drug testing is that illegal drugs are not the biggest problem in most school- alcohol is! In New Jersey 1,000 student athletes were tested for drugs and only 2 tested positive, not for illegal drugs but for steroids. That’s 0.2%. The article in the New York Times, discussed a survey taking by 10th and 12th graders at Ridge High, NJ. The survey showed that half of these students had alcohol abuse problems. This was the same with my high school. Why are we not focusing our time and money on the prevalence alcohol abuse in schools?