Persuasive Essay: Drug Testing In Schools

Drug Testing in Schools
Kortney Gherardi
DeVry University

Drug Testing in Schools Drug testing in schools for extracurricular activities has been a controversial issue for years due to privacy reasons. There are schools that have already implemented drug testing for extracurricular activities. Drug testing teaches students that using drugs while participating in extracurricular activities is not acceptable. It is a good way to teach the students responsibility. It teaches the students to be aware of what they have to do in order to participate in extracurricular activities at their school. The schools do random drug screens to make sure that children are not under the influence while participating in activities for them. Drug testing would ensure the safety of the students, aid in identifying which students may have a drug problem, and help decrease peer pressure among students. The safety of the children is a main priority for the teachers and staff at schools, especially during extracurricular activities. Drug testing done at
random in school systems can be construed as a violation of privacy but the intent is to prevent a possible problem. Testing can help prevent an addiction among students before it spirals out of control. Students who recognize that a school practices random drug testing will be deterred from abusing drugs during the established school year. The health and well-being of the students is the number one priority when it comes to any school system. The Supreme Court also decided this was a good approach to take in the school systems. “The Supreme Court’s ruling giving public school authorities the green light to conduct random, suspicion less, drug testing of all junior and senior high school students wishing to participate in extra-curricular activities, teaches by example” (Boire, 2002).
Teaching children about the consequences of doing drugs will better prepare them for their future. When referring to sports, drug testing can identify if students are under the influence of performance enhancing drugs that could give an unfair advantage to students who are not. This is sometimes done at the beginning of the sports season and randomly throughout to show integrity to the sport, school, and staff. When a team makes advancement into state qualification in Ohio it is mandatory for all students participating to take a drug screen for chemicals associated with dependency and performance enhancer narcotics. Some parents are against their children being drug tested and claim it is against their children’s privacy.
With any policy there are going to be parents that might not support the idea of drug testing their children. They may think that there child is being singled out and in some cases this could be true. If a child has been reported, or is under suspicion of drug abuse, they may be subject for random testing. Due to growing reports of sexual abuse in the school system some parents may feel that the test observer may not have the student’s best interest in mind while administering the drug test and might have other motives. Parents tend to believe that when something is a problem in a school system that there child could not be involved. That is why the drug testing is mostly done at random this way the parents won’t feel their child is being singled out. Drug testing in school is set to be a policy to help prevent the children from getting injured while participating in extracurricular activities.
The schools are showing zero tolerance for drugs to help protect the nation’s young youth. “The Court reasoned that students, who seek to join the debate team, write for that the student newspaper, play in the marching band or participate in any other after school activities knowing that their urine will be tested for drugs, would be dissuaded from using drugs” (Boire, 2002). This will help prepare them for leadership roles as they grow older, in college and in the workforce area. “According to an August survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse, 60 percent of high school students say they attend a drug-infected school, where drugs are used, kept or sold on school grounds” (Meeker, 2013). Times have changed with the term “having a good time” when children use that term now forty-seven percent are referring to being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The drug testing in schools can help decrease this percentage by having the help of teachers and other staff.
The rise in drugs rates over the years have brought on the concern of youths participating in extracurricular activities while under the influence. “Mandatory drug testing programs include both "suspicion less" random testing and "for cause" testing, and can be considered an outgrowth of the "drug war" currently taking place in the United States” (Lee, 2011). Having three reasons for drug testing a student’s help ensure students they are not being singled out from others. Staff doesn’t want children to feel singled out for their reason of being tested. But, they also want children to learn the consequences drugs can bring into their lives, along with neglecting the safety for themselves and each other.
Teaching children the importance of being drug free at young ages will help better prepare for their futures. Some children are brought up in families that use drugs daily, and it is hard for those children to veer away from that life style. With the help of schools drug testing and showing children there are other ways to live life will decrease the number of students using drugs. Although, there are other programs such as D.A.R.E that help teach children to stay drug free, drug testing for extracurricular activities will help teach responsibility to children and keep them safe while they are participating in activities after school hours.
“Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst has encouraged school districts in his state to institute mandatory steroid drug testing” (Lee, 2011). Steroids are a major problem in today’s society and these are also known as a form of drugs. Students may take these in order to get bigger faster, for example before football season. They think that the bigger they get the stronger they are, but actually it builds hollow muscles throughout the body. Also, the side effects of steroids are damaging to the students bodies and attitudes. The use of steroids could completely change a person’s attitude and affect the relationships they have with the people who are closest to them. This is a main drug that schools are concerned about for students that participate in extracurricular activities. Like any other drugs steroids are addicting and have side effects that can affect a student’s outcome of life. Students who use drugs regularly were found to have decreased their academic performance and have difficulties learning new material. Teachers feel it is their job to help prevent students from getting to this point. When parents send their children to school they are turning over responsibility to the school to protect the children. Students who are involved in extracurricular activities have already given up a number of privacies; drug testing shouldn’t be much of a debate. “Getting dressed in locker rooms, with open shower areas and toilet stalls, reduces your privacy level as well” (Jacobs, 2006). Since peer pressure is a major problem in schools for children, having the drug testing randomly will help decrease the peer pressure. All children will experience peer pressure at one point or another through their school experience.
By drug testing the schools are trying to help decrease this number of children being peer pressured to do drugs. The peer pressure in schools increases the use of drugs and alcohol being used around school grounds. Approaching children with mandatory random drug screens to participate in extracurricular activities will make sure the children are not feeling pointed out among the other children. The children will start to lead and peer leadership is better than peer pressure. Many students follow in others footsteps not wanting to be a leader, so having many children wanting to stay drug free for sports will help decrease the number of children using illegal drugs. More schools are starting to drug test for this reason, to help save the children from making bad decisions and help prepare them for their
futures. Although, not all schools do mandatory drug testing the amount of schools is increasing for extracurricular activities. Giving the children rewards for being drug free and practicing a drug free environment everyday will help teach the children why being drug free is safe and important for their lives. All children should be taught the importance and safety of being drug free. Mandatory drug testing can help children to make the right decisions and focus less on the peer pressure aspects from other students. Schools who participate in the drug testing have helped protect the students from peer pressure, ongoing drug problems among students, and have taught children the importance of leadership.

Works Cited
Boire, R. G. (2002). Drug Testing in Public Schools.
Jacobs, T. (2006). Teens Take it to Court.
Lee, M. (2011). Points of View: Mandatory Drug Testing . 1p.
Meeker, S. (2013). Athletes will be drug tested.