Many schools have implemented drug testing for students playing sports or joining extracurricular activities. This new program has caused overwhelming controversy among schools, teachers, parents, students, and other officials across the country. The biggest reason for these new found programs may be contributed to recent polls, which have shown an increase in drug use among students. Now many parents, teachers, students, and other officials are for drug testing. However, many are not.
One argument against drug testing is that it invades the students privacy. The fourth amendment states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." This was put into place to protect U.S citizens against practices such as random drug testing. Without cause there is no reason to do a random drug test.
On the other hand what about a student’s right to an education in a safe and drug free environment? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse “ marijuana use has increased in 2011 to 7.2% of 8th graders, 17.6% of 10th graders, and 22.6% of 12th graders this is up from 5.7%, 14.2% and 18.8% in 2007.” And according to the U.S. Department of Human Health Services the “Illicit drug use rate among children ages 12-17 has increased from9.3% to 10% from 2008 to 2009.” So must I ask do our children not have the right to attend school without being pressured into some king of drug use?
Another argument may be that drug testing does not stop students from using drugs but they simply just do not go out for sports or other curricular activities. Looking at how drug testing effects student. This may cause low self-esteem issues. One must also look how it reflects on students who are tested, will they be singled out as a drug user? This may lead to bulling, isolation, and student dropouts.
Although I understand the concerns above according to an article in EBSCO HOST by James-Burdumy, Susanne, Brian Goesling, John Deke, and Eric Einspruch, the “MRSDT program had no effect on the proportion of students participating in activities subjected to drug testing or on students’ attitudes toward school and perceived consequences of substance use.”
Another argument may be that the cost for drug testing is to great when many school programs have been shut down do to no funding. This may be validated according to one school Lake Zurich High that plans to randomly test 15 students 6 times a year, each test costing 40 dollars that adding up to 3,600 dollars a year. That kind of money could go back into the schools for art programs, music programs, girl sports and so forth. The schools money should be going towards educating students not subjecting them to random testing.
However, my opponents have a valid point. According to Andy Sullivan at the Boston Globe the Bush Administration has spent 8 million dollars to help schools pay for drug testing in 2006. The Bush Administration also hope to increase these grants in years to come. So it is not like the schools are taking the money out of pocket to administer this program. And since when is it too much of a cost to protect students from anything harmful. Do we not in trust schools with the wellbeing of our children 8 hours out of the day and longer for afterschool programs. As parents when something goes wrong with our children at school we want to point fingers, however, when the schools try to prevent bad things from happening we criticize them.