Random Tests in Schools—Valid Strategy or Invasion of Privacy?
As drug use has become more prevalent amongst young people, a proposed solution to the problem has also brought on a huge controversy. This is the proposed solution of using random drug tests in schools. Drug testing occurs just about everywhere else.
Places of work, the criminal justice system, even some church groups and community groups utilize drug testing. Many who support drug testing encourage that drug testing should be utilized in schools as well. But as one can imagine, there are many who also oppose this approach.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is little evidence that drug testing really works to deter people from using drugs and alcohol. In fact, there is no science or quantifiable research that indicates that drug testing actually prevents people from using drugs and alcohol.
The American Academy of Pediatrics would rather encourage schools to use their resources to educate students about the risks attendant with drug use and to help those kids who are already addicted to drugs. From this perspective, it is more beneficial to teach students about the risks at hand and to educate them on why they should refrain from drugs than it is to try and police schools so heavily.
Scientific Research on the Matter
Teen and young adult drug use are back on the rise, so from an outside perceptive, drug testing in schools seems like a great idea. But science actually indicates that such approaches would be more of a waste of resources than it would be effective.
According to research, teens do not tend to be heavy drug addicts. Not yet anyway. Rather, they tend to be users who engage in sporadic drug use. Random drug testing is highly unlikely to reveal drug use in teens who only use drugs occasionally, simply from a numbers and proportions perspective.
According to the Adolescent Communication Institute at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, teens who go to schools which have already implemented some form of drug testing are no less likely to use marijuana or alcohol than teens who go to schools with no testing programs.
Whether drug testing in schools is effective or not, the prevalence of such testing is increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about twenty percent of U.S. high schools utilize testing methods. That percentage increases every year, and even some middle schools have considered implementing this tactic.
Controversy Over Testing
Legally, schools can only drug test students who try out for sports or extracurricular activities. It is not currently legal to test the entire student body. When only a small percentage of students are being tested, many students could get away with drug use if they wanted to and the school would never know about it. Furthermore, for students who are tested, drug tests are not foolproof and can occasionally declare a “false positive” which is when a student tests positive on a drug test but hadn’t been taking drugs to begin with. Last but not least, the cost of drug testing in a student body is pretty exorbitant. It costs about three thousand dollars worth of drug testing to catch one true-positive drug test.
The fact of the matter is that drug testing does not change students’ perspective about drugs. A student who is determined to use drugs is going to use drugs whether drug testing is performed in their school or not. In fact, students are more likely to be offended and to feel their privacy is invaded by being made to participate in drug tests than they are to be convinced not to use drugs. A better approach would be to educate and inform students on the risks involved with drug use so they know for themselves to stay away from such unhealthy activities.
Sources:
®