Drug testing in public schools became legal in the U.S. In 2002, when the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow it. This is not just for student athletes but for all middle school and high school students who participate in extracurricular activities that involve competing. Some people call it an invasion of privacy. However, if a student is not using something illegal, what is the harm in testing?
The war on drugs is a serious one. Every day, more and more teens are getting hooked on drugs. So how do we combat that? By doing drug testing in school with certain perimeters being made. If a child has a condition of some type, this needs to be taken in consideration and his or her privacy still needs to be maintained. Having a medical professional oversee the tests would go a long way in protecting those privacy issues.
Students might think the school is picking on them. Parents might think it is a violation of rights. But if each community meets and discusses the idea of what drug testing is really about, they could find it actually protects the student by raising red flags. Showing the student body a brain that has been altered by drugs, having professional counselors and medical doctors speak to them, could go a long way in stopping a teen from trying drugs over the weekend. Teens are always hearing how "cool" a drug is, how it makes them relax. What they need to know, what they need to hear, what they need to SEE, is the results of what drugs can truly do to a person.
Teens need to understand that drug testing is not a power trip by adults. It is concern over a major health issue. That’s right. Doing drugs can harm a student, can kill a student. Understanding that drugs can hurt them and that schools are drug testing to protect them can make agreeing to the test more plausible.
Do you want to know something else public school drug testing has accomplished? Some students actually like it. Why? They say it helps them in one of the hardest and common positions they find themselves in: peer pressure situations. By having a drug testing policy at school, a teen can say no and use the excuse of not wanting to blow his or her chance in the next competition or sporting even they are involved in. It sort of takes the just say no campaign to a new level, giving the responsibility back to the school and leaving the teen free to not be teased or messed with by his peers because they understand how important the event is. Some students say it’s the bonus part of having to participate in drug testing. I can see their point. Can you?