Drugs have become a somewhat popular and dangerous trend with the current teenage generation, more so than it used to be. Teens now find the need to bring a variety of drugs with them to school and participate in doing them during the school day. These actions make myself, and others uncomfortable and ruins the learning environment.
There have been numerous incidents that have affected students negatively in school. Lawrence high school student, Erica Million, overdosed on painkillers during school and has been pronounced dead. I can’t help but think, maybe she would still be alive today if Lawrence High School had been drug testing. I believe, by drug testing in schools, students who have a problem with substance abuse will be able to get help.
The argument many people make is that it is an invasion of privacy and going against your rights. ACLU stated “If you have been tested for drug use, it is natural to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable: your privacy has been infringed upon.” But has your privacy actually been exploited? I think from the moment you decide to do drugs on school grounds where other students can see, your “drug privacy” is out in the open. The fact that people are “embarrassed” to take a urine test, but perfectly fine to smoke in the school bathroom between periods amazes me.
I also believe that drug testing school athletics, academic teams and clubs is a necessity. It is especially important to test sports teams and academic teams because it is competition based, and drugs could give one team and unfair advantage. The National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance conducted a study that proved “Students involved in extracurricular activities and subject to in-school drug testing reported less substance use than comparable students in high schools without drug testing.”
What is often confused is that anyone who is comes up positive on a school drug test will be punished, that is not the case; Students who are positive with drug use will receive help from counselors or medical professionals.
Another argument that is often raised is that drug testing is simply too much money and there is no room in the school’s budget to pay for it. What they don’t realize is, not every student in the school will be tested, only the suspected ones. This means the school will have to pay for much fewer tests than if they were to test the whole school. “A 2008 report estimated that about 14 percent of U.S. schools had random testing programs. The average drug test cost between $15 and $35.” That really isn’t too expensive per student. If a school can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a useless 3D printer, then I’m sure they can splurge $35 on a drug test that could help save a student’s life.
Drug testing could help so many students get on the right path for their future, schools should stop hesitating and finally take action.