Drug testing in schools is something that has been fairly controversial over the years and is a complicated issue. As of right now, drug testing is currently legal for students that participate in extracurricular activities like athletics or clubs. In 2008, about 16% of public high schools United States had drug testing programs in place . This was largely due to President Bush making federal funding available for these programs. In 2019, more than 1 in 3 high schools nationwide utilize drug testing with even middle schools having programs. With these statistics in mind, we can look at the two sides of the debate. Those in favor of the tests say that a positive result can allow the school to intervene early and help the student kick the habit which then increases the chances of a student having a successful future. The other side argues that the tests are expensive and the same money could spent in other areas. Students who are aware of the test might turn to other drugs that would not show up on a drug test like synthetic marijuana or alcohol. But I think the most important part of this argument is that if a student is heavily involved in school sports is kicked off the team as a result of the test, they will have no reason to stop using and likely will even increase their drug habit because the one thing that took up their after school time is now gone. In my personal opinion as someone that participates in school athletics, mandatory drug testing is something that should not be in schools and does more harm that it does good.
Sources:
https://www.centeronaddiction.org/the-buzz-blog/should-students-be-drug-tested-school
https://khn.org/news/school-districts-double-down-on-drug-testing-targeting-even-middle-schoolers/
I disagree with your conclusion. Drug testing is used primarily in schools with known drug issues, especially in athletes and other extra curricular activities. The thought is not to get a person kicked out of a team. Instead, the idea is that students that have a tendency to go out and do drugs now has additional motivation to stop this habit: they are forced to chose between school athletics and drugs. If students know they have to do a drug test at the start and end of season, they are much more likely to find motivation to stay sober, and if this applies to a lot of people at the school (ex. all athletes), then the overall drug issue in the school will decrease. That said, you mentioned that there are drugs that won't show up on drug tests, and this is definitely an issue that would go against the successfulness of drug tests. Still, drug testing in schools would lead to a decrease in marijuana and cocaine usage, if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://www.centeronaddiction.org/the-buzz-blog/should-students-be-drug-tested-school
I agree with Alice about the intent of drug testing in schools, but I see your point. If you get kicked off the team for drugs you'll probably keep using them because there's now no incentive to stop. That said, having drug tests likely discourages athletes from using, and if there were no longer drug tests, it is possible athletes would start using a lot more. My question is, if a student tests positive for a drug, does the school have the right to search their belongings? Or, if a students belongings are searched and drugs are found, can the school then force the student to take a drug test?
ReplyDeleteI think that whether or not a school has drug tests should be up to the administration and honestly should vary from school to school. The part that I am more worried about is what happens to a student after they are tested and come up positive for a certain drug. Like Aiden said, a lot of students will go back to drugs and probably even harder if they get kicked off a team. Additionally, a source said that "one study showed eight percent of students in a sample had been expelled." If kids are getting expelled for these drugs then imagine the kind of spiral they will go through after they are no longer in school. I think instead of such harsh punishments, depending on the drug, the school should be more concerned with the student's mental health and well being. The problem with this is that if the punishment is light, then no one will worry about being caught with drugs. So, I don't really have an answer. Sorry if this didn't help. Here's the source: https://www.centeronaddiction.org/the-buzz-blog/should-students-be-drug-tested-school
ReplyDeleteSimilar to what Amy and Alice are saying, I think the problem lies more with how the school handles the students after the drugs tests rather than the drug tests themselves. I think that drug tests have the potential to have a very positive influence on students' decisions and their views of drugs. Requiring drug tests to participate in sports or clubs would not only discourage the participants from doing drugs in the first place, but it would also reenforce the dangers of drugs by associating them with the negative outcome of losing the ability to participate. This could help students see drugs in a more negative light, therefore discouraging further illicit behavior. That said, if the consequences are too severe, it could cause a downward spiral, and if they are too loose, it might result in a careless attitude regarding the problem. I think that schools should be very careful with how they decide to act on the information that drugs tests provide, but despite this, drugs testing should be a legal option for schools to use to protect their students.
ReplyDeleteI question whether drug testing will help students out of their habits and towards a better future. While I think that activism towards this problem is a good thing and drug tests might be the solution, I also think that these tests can hurt students futures as well. Imagine if you are caught with drugs and punished. That can go on your permanent record and effect your future as well. Furthermore, while other students make take this as a wake up call and stop, some people will refuse to do so or get turn down a worse path. Others still might blame the system and instead of confronting the problem will seek ways to avoid these tests. Therefore, I don't know whether the tests work, these are just doubts on the topic.
ReplyDeleteI like how you considered both sides of the debate, as there are obvious pros and cons to drug testing in schools. While students may be more inclined to continue to use after getting kicked off their teams, I still think that drug testing is a good solution because it is a preventative measure. It may not be successful in every case, but it is a good way to reduce the number of students using drugs and get them the help that they need. As for the expenses, I feel that this is a worthwhile investment. The safety and security of students should be prioritized when it comes to funding these programs.
ReplyDeleteI think that it depends on what schools do with the information they gain through drug testing. If they really help the student and try to stop further drug abuse, I think that this would be a good program. But often in the US, drug users are often not sympathized with and are only to put into jail, which may cause more harm than good. This may also completely ruin their future and potentially may cause them to further turn to crime as a way of life. I'm not sure if punishing those who are suffering from an illness is the best way to treat it. What also makes me skeptical is that bushes D.A.R.E. program has been proven to be counterproductive, so I am not sure if I would trust any more of his drug related programs that he put out. ( https://www.livescience.com/33795-effective.html )
ReplyDeleteIf the school decides to keep the students' interests in mind, I think that drug testing can be effective (and can keep from students potentially spiraling deeper into drug use). For example, Jane Schwab describes in https://www.usdrugtestcenters.com/drug-test-blog/102/the-pros-and-cons-of-drug-testing-in-schools.html that the parents would be held responsible for students that come to school under the influence of drugs and that the students would be drug tested in private. By doing this, the students would not be expelled willy-nilly (which can cause the spiraling into more drug use as you explained); instead, the parents would be put on trial in case the parents are the ones that are neglecting their child (causing the child to use drugs) or if the parents themselves are giving drugs to the child. Thus, I think it depends on how the school drug tests their students whether drug testing can be a positive or negative action the school can take.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alice, I get in some cases drug tests might lead to more harm but in the end they really do help. Kids who do these drugs will feel inclined to them less in order to stay in their programs if they really care about their future. It depends on the school and academic environments the kids are surrounded in. Drug tests can mean nothing at some schools but in schools where drugs really are a big problem they can help. Providing further counseling to the students who fail the test. So although not all schools should make them mandatory there are some cases in which drug tests can actually help. There was an article I read that concluded there was a reduction in the amount of students who smoked and drank alcohol at a middle school. Dropping in 10% for students smoking cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/
I actually think that drug testing is an effective way of keeping drugs out of athletics. Maybe not completely, but student athletes will become less inclined to do drugs if they know that they could be randomly tested and if are caught, could lead to them being kicked out of their sport and it could go on their permanent record. In some cases, I do agree that in some cases, it does more harm than good, but I think in majority of cases, drug tests are effective.
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