School Drug Testing Fails
The American Journal of Public Health published survey data this month stating that one in seven public school districts randomly drug test their students. Of those, 93 percent test for sports, 65 percent test for extracurricular activities, and 29 percent test everyone.
In 2002, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the decision to allow random drug testing for athletes and students who participate in extracurricular activities, but testing the entire student body exceeds current Supreme Court authorization, and they’re more likely to do harm than good.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health warns that:
- · School-based drug testing programs could decrease student involvement in extracurricular activities and undermine trust between pupils and educators.
- · Mandatory drug testing may motivate adolescents to switch from using drugs with relatively low morbidity and mortality, such as marijuana, to those that pose greater danger (such as inhalants), but are undetectable by screening tests.
- · Widespread implementation of drug testing may also inadvertently encourage more students to abuse alcohol, which is associated with a greater number of adolescent deaths than any other illicit drug.
If I had to take a drug test to compete on the swim team or take part in the Red Ribbon Club when I was in school, I wouldn’t have joined either. (Yes, believe it or not – I was in the Red Ribbon Club. I plead temporary insanity and would like to assure you all that my brain is now functioning properly again.) I didn’t even smoke pot in High School! It’s just the principle of the fact — What I do (or don’t do) outside of school (or even work) is my own personal business and I don’t believe that anyone should have the authority to tell me otherwise.
Thankfully, it seems our nations’ students feel the same way I do. According to a 2003 study, “Drug testing, as practiced in recent years in American secondary schools, does not prevent or inhibit student drug use.”
Yet another way America’s War on Drugs is a complete and utter failure.
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Ally is a full-time student majoring in Communication Disorders. She spends her time as a dedicated activist and blogger for marijuana law reform and is the Executive Assistant for Woman Tribune, a webspace for women. She lives in Orange County, NY where she is a practicing Wiccan and shares her life with her psycho hamster, Chouji, and boyfriend, Pugz. She is currently launching her first business, Ally McCoy Media, a web and graphic design firm.
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So much for working from home... 
I find it hard to believe that anyone ever thought random drug screening could be a success. What a joke. It reminds be of Dazed And Confused, and that jerkoff coach…
Why would a random drug screening test help at all? O_o
These things never usually work because they try to approach the problem in the wrong way. They want to be all big and tough and if someone messes up, they make them feel like they are less then human and will have a ‘record’ for life. Teenagers do crazy things, and they should probably try and educate and work with the situation rather then against it. But that is easier said then done. For as long as there is rules, people will always break them.
So random drug testing is the latest? Well, I really am surprised! When I was in elementary and high school, the board of education never had much of a problem with drugs.