A study was taken at the University of Michigan, and of all their 12th graders, 12% tried narcotics and 1% tried heroin. This data represents a need for random drug testing in schools. It can identify students that need help and keep others from falling into bad crowds. To keep our students and schools safe ,and effectively cut down on teen drug use, random drug testing should be allowed in schools.
First, random drug testing schools should be implemented for the safety of the students. According to NYT, “90% of all NOVT students tried marijuana and 60% tried opiates and other pharmaceuticals” (Slotnik para. 7). If NOVT had random drug testing, they could’ve detected that sooner and helped the students in earlier from harmful exposure to drugs. This could’ve also improved the safety of the students due to the fact that they wouldn’t have to go to dangerous people in order to obtain the substances. They could’ve been hurt in the receival of these items. Also, of all the 12th graders at U of M, “...12% tried narcotics and 1% tried heroin.” states NYT (Slotnik para. 11)How are we supposed to maked the world of our students and children a safer place, if our students and children are meeting with drug dealers? Evidently, if our students WERE safe, they wouldn’t be doing drugs in the first place. As you can see, if we were to drug test students, we could stop them from using drugs and have a deterrent from using them. Then they’d be safer because they wouldn’t be around the wrong people.
The implementation of random drug testing in schools could be very effective in deterring students from using drugs. “Schools wish to conduct random drug tests as a deterrent from using drugs.” claims www.drugabuse.gov .
This can be effective because students will have a great, solid excuse to say no to drugs. Without t5his excuse, what reason will students have to say no? Nothing. That’s why this effective and needed. www.drugabuse.gov also reports “The purpose of drug testing is not to punish students, but to help the ones in need.”(Frequently Asked… para. 5) This can also be effective because it can cut down the teen drug abuse in America. This can also help areas lower crime rates due to stopping future drug addicts. Thus, proving that this course of action is potentially effective.
Studies as recent as 2001 have shown that 50% of 12th graders have been associated with drug use (“Frequently”). Schools have identified this to be a crucial issue, especially if it is a student who participates in extracurricular activities. Frequent drug use has caused schools to enforce drug test policies. The problem is, not everyone is on board with this new policy. To comprehend the Board of Education v. Earls case of 2002, one must interpret the history prior to the case, contemplate the arguments throughout the case, and recognize the significance of the case. This issue has caused enough controversy to make it all the way to the Supreme Court.
Drugs and alcohol are a big problem everywhere, but school administrators and teachers want to make sure that students are able to reach their full potential and drug use would greatly hinder that. However, according to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey 39.9% of students have tried marijuana and 70.8% of students have drank alcohol (YRBSS 2011 National Overview). If schools were to expel every student because of drug or alcohol use, there would hardly be any students left. A booklet published by the Drug Policy Alliance has research that shows that zero tolerance policies do not deter drug and alcohol use. Drug and alcohol use continues to rise in schools, and many schools do not do anything to help combat it except for harsh disciplinary procedures. Most elementary schools have drug education programs, but the same type of education does not work well with teenagers. The Drug Policy Alliance advocates for a three step process to help students instead of p...
...ng drugs will have a huge impact on them and the people that they are around. When a person does drugs once, they will keep using them and eventually become addicted. Drug testing student athletes is a necessity because taking drugs affects relationships that the athlete has, drugs cause consequence that can be detrimental, and lastly taking drugs hurt the body causing the athlete to have health issues. Hence, drug testing should be done in all high schools around the country.
Mckinney, Joseph R. "The Effectiveness and Legality of Random Student Drug Testing Programs Revisited." RandomStudentDrugTesting.org. 2005. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
First, schools should be allowed to test students for illegal substances everyday so that the students are healthier. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco have all been proven to be very unhealthy to a person at any age, especially to a person in his or her teenage years when he or she is still growing. In...
Unannounced drug searches keeps schools safe by removing potentially harmful or illegal items from schools. By doing these searches unannounced, students will not be able to hide or remove any illegal or harmful substances. Bonners Ferry high school in Idaho do routine unannounced drug searches. For instance, they found an illegal fire arm in a students locker on a unannounced drug search. This shows that doing this searches could prevent a harmful incident were students could possibly get hurt. By finding the gun and the student, eliminated the threat and kept the school safe. As a result, doing drug searches keeps students safe and out of harms way.
“A medical dictionary defines a drug as ‘any substance that when taken into the living organism may modify one or more of its functions’” (Newton 12). However, when speaking of drug testing for abuse a person is usually thinking about illegal drugs or drugs that can alter athletic performance in sporting events. Mandatory drug testing was not allowed in public schools until June 2002 when the Supreme Court allowed for public schools to do random drug testing (Carroll 23). This decision allowed for drug testing in all schools throughout the United States not just for athletes but also students who are in any activities within the school, for example clubs and competitive events (Carroll 23). Even though drug testing is now allowed by the Supreme Court many schools do not yet have mandatory drug test policies. Mandatory drug testing for high school athletes should be required because it decreases drug use in schools, is relatively inexpensive, and can prevent drug use and or abuse that can lead to a lifelong addiction.
We need to drug test high school student athletes. Randomly drug testing student athletes in schools is a zero tolerance policy. The problem with this is drug testing student athletes is so coaches and guardians know their athlete is using. Letting students know when they’re getting tested is a problem because they can prepare. If we surprise drug test athletes the coaches and guardians will know for sure if their athlete is using. Around 74% of student athletes abuse and are not usually caught, this is a problem because students are doing anything and everything they can do get high.
Over a long time there has been a controversy about students being drug tested at school. Schools should drug test students in order to prove that students are doing illegal drugs. There has been many conflicts and very bad results of students using drugs. In that case schools have the right to drug test a student who they think is using illegal drugs.
“It starts early with kids,” said Matthew Franz” (New York Times). This shows that drugs start young with children. When schools, specifically middle schools, do drug test, it helps them detect which students may be on drugs. This can let the student parents intervene, and keep
If some students already use drugs, they may not be willing to give them up to participate in the activity, which could lead to activity and athletic budget cuts and an unhappy student body. Many students could be barred from participating, even a star athlete who had a scholarship to play in college, but it was the athlete’s bad choices which should have serious consequences. In turn, this argument may be supported by parents or other community members, so a drug policy may not be supported and fail to be passed by a school board. Another argument can be made that it is a violation of rights to be drug tested in able to join a sport or club. But, in reality it is a student’s right to join the sport or not, and schools are given the power by the U.S. government to implement any needed rules to keep their school safe. For example, a student gives up his freedom of speech while attending public school because he can be severely punished if he says something dangerous. In the end, a major drawback could be the effectiveness of enforcing a drug testing policy in schools. While only 14% of schools in the United States drug test their students, there has not been any major evidence in studies about the effectiveness of the policy. For some schools in Superior, Wisconsin, who have been drug testing their students since 2006, it has led to positive change (Editorial Board Star
...ey to getting a good job, but high school students can’t get their education if they are caught up in doing drugs. Over thirty percent of dropouts in the United States are because of drugs. The thirty percent of drug addict dropouts may never find a job. Thats why it is important for high school drug testing to be enforced among all students. High school drug testing would allow early notice of drug use and allow the school to steer the student into the right path towards success. The drug tests will give students confidence and another reason to say “No” when being peer pressured into trying drugs. Many would argue that drug testings invade their privacy, but with drug usage being at an all time high who can we count on? High schools are made to prepare students for their future, and in order to make the students successful we must allow high school drug testings.
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.
I. Drug testing is meant to help clean our communities and the schools from drug related problems. Drug testing is an easy yet complicated test for many people. Statistics have shows a dramatic decrease of drug use and abuse in between the years of 2000-2006 (University Services, 2009). The U.K.’s country wide drug testing have helped show scientists all over the world the improvements that drugs testing at schools can make.
(2) Some experts believe the schools’ anti-drug programs are effective. Two popular programs are Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare), and the School Program to Educate and Control Drug Abuse (SPECA). The project Dare and SPECA programs use uniformed police officers to inform students in 5th, 6th and 7th grade about the risks of drugs, and how to avoid negative peer pressure (DeJong 109). William DeJong ,who is an analyst for the Education Development Center, has prepared this study for the National Institute of Justice (Bernards 108).