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8/18/2019 Drug Testing 2
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Parents, experts divided on school drug testing
What Maryellen Stratmann heard at her youngest son’s freshman orientation a
few weeks ago was music to the Springeld, Mo., mother’s ears !is "atholic
high school would #e conducting random drug testing on all students.
!er older son also has random drug testing at his pu#lic high school, #ut only for
kids who participate in extracurricular activities. $o Stratmann and her hus#and
% #oth physicians who have worked in &'s and witnessed rsthand the e(ects of
drug overdoses and other drug)related pro#lems % the more testing the #etter.
*+t might help identify a teen who needs help, she reasons. *We also think it
makes the campus a safer place, since drugs can interfere with an individual-s
a#ility to make good decisions.
fter two Supreme "ourt decisions upholding the constitutionality of random
drug testing and an increase in funding #y the /ush dministration to administer
the urine tests, more schools across the nation are starting to consider this a
feasi#le method to convey an anti)drug message. Many private schools are
testing entire student #odies, and numerous pu#lic schools are testing students
involved in extracurricular activities 0e.g., sports, year#ook committees or even
to o#tain a parking pass1.
2ast year, a survey of superintendents #y 3niversity of 4ew !ampshire
researchers pu#lished in the 5ournal &ducation 2aw 'eporter found that a#out 67percent of school districts nationwide now drug test students. n additional 68
percent were considering adopting such policies. Parents can opt out, of course,
#ut that means either their child won’t #e a#le to attend the private school or
won’t #e allowed to participate in the pu#lic)school extracurriculars.
9et, despite the growing popularity, many experts have misgivings.
*+’m a rm #eliever kids shouldn’t #e using drugs, #ut + don’t think drug testing is
giving people the information they think it is, says :r. Sharon 2evy, director of
the dolescent Su#stance #use Program at "hildren’s !ospital /oston. *+ hear
people talk a#out drug testing as if it’s a pregnancy test. People think it’s the
simplest thing % pee in a cup and run the test and it says yes or no.
:rug tests are typically administered #y contracted medical professionals who
randomly select students from a data#ase and come on campus the day of
testing. "hildren are called out of class and asked to give a urine sample. $hey
may #e escorted to the nurse’s o;ce, for example, #ut the students are allowed
privacy while giving the sample. $he parents, students and school o;cials are
notied of the results of the test. +f the sample indicates a child is using, in most
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garner more information % and more accurate information % than random drug
testing.
*$he people asking the Cuestions need to have training #ut D kids do answer
these Cuestions. $here’s no dou#t. Will everyone tell the truthE Ff course not,
says 2evy. */ut when you sort of give it over to drug testing and say, G4ow, +
want to see a negative test,’ they’ll nd a way to give you a negative test.
2eading experts on adolescent drug use #ring up another disconcerting issue
$here are comprehensive education and outreach programs that have scientic
studies indicating that kids who go through them do fewer drugs, #ut there is no
scientic evidence that suggests random drug testing has a similar impact. +n
fact, the Su#stance #use and Mental !ealth Services dministration maintains
the 4ational 'egistry of &vidence)#ased Programs and Practices, a data#ase of
proven drug)prevention programs. 'andom drug testing is not included in this
data#ase.
:r. 2inn Hold#erg, a researcher at Fregon !ealth and Science 3niversity, likens
testing to a doctor prescri#ing an experimental #lood pressure medication
instead of one that has #een proven e(ective. !e and other drug a#use experts
say that the message that drug prevention is evidence)#ased and certain
programs work has not #een heard. +nstead, #illions of dollars have #een
sCuandered on programs without scientic merit that do not work 0e.g., :..'.&.,
the @ust Say 4o ad campaign and, possi#ly, random drug testing1.
look at how heroin, cocaine and other drugs a(ect the #ody*Why would you
ever say, GWe know something that works, #ut let’s try something that we don’t
know works’E says Hold#erg.
Proponents on #oth sides are undou#tedly well intended, #ut we may soon have
a long awaited piece of evidence to give credence to one group. Hold#erg says
his team is crunching the data collected from a two)year randomiIed controlled
study of schools with and without random drug testing. !e’s now preparing for
pu#lication.
:on Stewart, superintendent of Penn Manor School :istrict in 2ancaster "ounty,
Penn., #elieves there’s no time to waste. *+ like Jdrug testingK #ecause it says we
are willing to do all it can to prevent kids from throwing away their lives with
drug use.
!is district is in its second year of random testing, and for now, anecdotal
evidence is enough for him. 2ast year, with random drug testing in place,Stewart says only a#out one)third the num#er of students were referred for drug)
http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12423004/ns/health-addictions/t/interactive-street-drugs/http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12423004/ns/health-addictions/t/interactive-street-drugs/
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related 5udicial review compared to the previous year in his district. *+’m not
saying we’ll see the same thing this year or that there’s necessarily a cause and
e(ect relationship, he admits. *+ don’t have empirical data. Still, implementing
drug testing speaks to what our community stands for. We don’t turn our #acks
on a pro#lem.
$he youngest Stratmann #oy agrees. s long as the testing is done with an
emphasis on helping kids and their families, says 6=)year)old @oe, why notE
Lictoria "layton is a freelance writer #ased in "alifornia and co)author of
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Institute, relays that random drug testing is being considered by schools out of desperation for an alternative solution.
Nothing seems to be workingall the education and >scare tactics> do not seem to have anystatistical affect on the use of drugs among adolescents. This desperation forces schools to
make imperative, and often controversial, choices to combat suspected drug use. Dr.the random testing of all students is unconstitutional, the ?ourtrecently held in a fivetofour decision that a mandatory drugtesting program for studentsinvolved in e"tracurricular activities is permissible.> This has widereaching implications forthe future of random drug testing in schools, and it seems to suggest a shift in the logic
behind the e"istent laws. 0upporters of these laws feel that the benefits that random drugtesting can provide, such as a reduction in drug use as well as early intervention for identifiedsubstance abusers, far outweigh the potential negative litigation surrounding the issue.
?ons
• The main ob+ection to random drug testing in schools continues to be the violation of
constitutional rights@ laws of presumable innocence and laws that free individuals fromunwarranted search and sei/ure. #any students feel that their civil liberties are at risk andthat if random drug searches are allowed, this potentially opens a floodgate for other formsof surveillance and monitoring that infringes upon their rights at citi/ens.
#any school administrators feel the same way8 %uite frankly, many school administrators fear the legal ramifications of even attempting to implement a random drug testing policy. Afirestorm of individual legal battles could result, which would cost the district tremendously,in both time, reputation and finances.
In addition, little to no evidence has been published to actually validate the effectiveness ofmeasures such as random drug testing.
Dr. until recently the constitutionality of random drugtesting was uncertain, there has been little time to implement studies of its effectiveness.>#any e"perts, including Dr. cause or suspicion,> and it is often determined on a referral basis bystudents, teachers, parents or administrators. #ost schools have 0tudent 0upport Teams,which are groups of trained educators, psychologists, guidance counselors and administratorswho can initiate and manage such re%uests. These re%uests often re%uire a parent signature of
permission in order to test the minor.
1"perts agree that the one aspect evidence does support is that early intervention of suspecteddrug abusers and early referral to substance abuse programs helps the student overcomesubstance abuse. :hile the political, legal and moral debate over random drug testing
continues, parents must cooperate and communicate with other teachers, coaches,
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administrators and students to monitor the warning signs of substance abuse and intervenewithout hesitation when a child e"hibits these signs.
Pu#lic Fpinions
• :hen asked about random drug testing in schools, a mi"ture of positive and negative
responses were voicedproving, once again, that the controversy remains as fevered andrelevant as ever.
>0tudents must be tested for drugs, due to increase in the level of addiction among studentsand I think this will help most of the worried parents.>
>0tudents drug testing is very important as it is the students who are addicted at an alarmingrate, and we should first save our younger generations.>
>!andom drug testing is bad, but maybe a random drug test of the whole school or college,not +ust individual students. Although a mammoth task is fairer and less of an invasion of
personal privacy if it is recogni/ed as an official event.>
In an article published by the
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as ensuring the $privacy$ of all students by not having random drug tests empowers some
students to socially coerce other students into using drugs when they otherwise would not.
!andom drug tests help prevent cultures or norms of drugtaking 2by which it can become the
$cool$ thing to do4 by ensuring that most drug users will be caught and helped to %uit, thus
protecting the choice of others not to be pressured into drug use.
E5F !osenbaum, #arsha. G0afety irst@ A !eality
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!andom drug tests will only catch those who are actively taking drugs, as tests can be used
which are unlikely to make a $positive$ reading from secondary e"posure 2for e"ample, being
near someone else smoking cannabis4.
Those actively taking drugs need help in getting off drugs far more urgently than they need
their right to $privacy$, as addiction at a young age could have a significant negative impactupon the remainder of their time in education. Therefore, nondrug users have nothing to fear
from testing. As a result random checks are in the best interests of drug users.
:iscuss $hisQ
"F34$&'PF+4$
0tudents who do not use illegal drugs do have something to fear the violation of privacy andloss of dignity caused by random drug tests. They may well feel that they are being treated as
under suspicion with no evidence or cause, and resent this imposition upon their privacy.
Indeed, the indignity of drugs testing may compel children who are already in a position of
vulnerability as a result of social marginalisation or personal or family problems to drop out
of school entirely.
:iscuss $hisQ
•
PF+4$S H+4S$
'ight to privacy
PF+4$
1ven if a right to privacy 2which would prevent random drug testing with no reason for
suspicion4 does not e"ist in law in every country, many students being affected by drugs tests
will perceive that the notional right to privacy which they believe they possess is being
violated.
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suspicion, these drugusing students would have to be engaging in their education, not
disrupting the education of others, and not displaying erratic or harmful behaviour. As they
are not actively harming others, these students should be sub+ect only to the same standards
as individuals in other areas of society@ to only have their privacy violated by drugs tests if
their behaviour actively brings them under suspicion.
:iscuss $hisQ
"F34$&'PF+4$
The students in %uestion may not reali/e the longterm harms of drug use or fully understand
the risks of addiction, and as they are not yet fully adult and responsible for themselves, the
state has the right to ensure that they do not e"ercise their $right to privacy$ in a way that
could be harmful to them.
:iscuss $hisQ
Aeeping teenagers in education
PF+4$
0tudies in #ichigan in the 0A have found that random drug tests in schools do not deter
drug use, as schools with and without random tests have similar levels of drug use amongtheir pupils.E5F
It seems unlikely that random drug tests will, in fact, deter students from taking drugs. :hat
such tests will result in, however, is a greater number of e"clusions and disciplinary actions
resulting from catching student drug users, which as the studies have shown has no guarantee
of lowering drug use overall.
aced with a situation of continuing to be caught and reprimanded for drug use in school due
to random drug tests, many older teenagers who reach the age whereby they may choose to
leave school may choose to do so in greater numbers. This may well be compounded by an
adolescent desire to rebel and re+ect authority when it tries to prevent them doing what they
want, and so a greater number of teenage students may drop out of school so as to allow
themselves to continue doing what they want more easily K that is, taking drugs. eaving
school at such an age for no other reason than to pursue a drugusing lifestyle is almost
certainly more harmful than the worstcase alternative, whereby they at least remain in
education even if they continue to use illegal drugs, comparatively improving their future
career and education choices. 0imply driving teenagers out of education with random drug
tests benefits noone.
E5F ;rim, !yan. G
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:iscuss $hisQ
"F34$&'PF+4$
sing random drug tests would mean that a greater number of teenage drug users would be
caught and put into drug rehabilitation programs, which would surely help at least some of
them. The school$s duty of care means that they must at least be given this chance to give up
drugs, even if they refuse it, as opposed to simply allowing them to keep using, which will
most likely disrupt their education severely anyway.
:iscuss $hisQ
Safeguarding the teacher)student relationship
PF+4$
!andom drug tests change the studentteacher relationship from one of trust into one of
suspicion, whereby the teachers and the school establishment become a body which many
students will perceive as being out to catch them, and suspicious of all. The destruction of
this trust makes it far harder for teachers to impart useful information on illegal drugs and the
conse%uences of their use to students, and students may be less willing to seek teachers outon this information. This would lead to students relying increasingly on their peers and the
internet for information on illegal drugs, and this information is far more likely to be of
%uestionable policy or influenced by notions of drug use as $cool$ or glamorous. Thus schools$
antidrugs message may be harmed by random drug tests.
:iscuss $hisQ
"F34$&'PF+4$
!andom drug tests may actually help remove mistrust between teachers and students.
Individual suspicion will no longer be the cause of drug tests for students, but rather these
tests will be something al students will face at one time or another. This means students may
actually feel freer to approach their teachers, and they may feel the need to more keenly, as
they know they may be tested at any time.
:iscuss $hisQ
+n @anuary 788O, a school in Aent #ecome the rst state school in the 3A to report
the introduction of random 0Gsuspicionless’1 drug testing. $esting is alreadywidespread in independent #oarding schools, with three)Cuarters of schools
http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229http://idebate.org/discussthis/new/18229
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reported to #e using some drug testing.6 $here is no dou#t that for governors,
teachers and parents drug testing seems an attractive solution #oth to prevent
and deal with illicit drug use among their pupils. $he Aent initiative, partly funded
#y the 4ews of Worldand supported #y the testing manufacturers ltrix
!ealthcare plc, has #een #roadly welcomed, such that only a small proportion of
parents have opted their children out of the scheme.7 :espite the enthusiasm
from teachers and parents for testing, few empirical studies have examined the
e(ects of drug testing in schools. With adults, an +ndependent +nCuiry into :rug
$esting at Work cautioned against introducing random drug testing in the
workplace, concluding that it was inappropriate to drug test as a means of
policing private #ehaviour of employees or improving productivity, except
perhaps in safety)critical industries. We #elieve that if drug testing is not
appropriate for adult employees then it should also #e unaccepta#le to test
school children.
+llicit drug use is certainly prevalent among the young. +n 7887R788 the /ritish
"rime Survey= found that T of 6ROB)year)olds reported using one or more
illicit drugs in their lifetime, 6T using "lass 0cocaine, heroin1 drugs. "anna#is
is the most freCuently reported drug with around million users per year and 6R
7=)year)olds were the age group most likely to use illicit drugs in the past year
07>T1. $he latest survey of school children #y the :epartment of
!ealthO reported that 76T had used drugs in the past year with 67T admitting
to having used in the past month. s with adults, canna#is was the mostfreCuently used drug.
• Fther SectionsU
&th grade students 06)year)olds1 from O.BT to
7=.=T, alcohol use from B.BT to 8T, and canna#is use from 6>.OT to 66.>T.
+n an attempt to examine the e(ectiveness of drug testing, @ames and Moore
studied 7B adolescents who had esta#lished drug or alcohol pro#lems attending
a treatment centre.? :rug testing was an e(ective tool in helping to prescri#e
appropriate treatment strategies for these young people with pre)existing drug
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b1http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b4http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b5http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b6http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b7http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b1http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b4http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b5http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b6http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/#b7
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pro#lems. $he authors concluded that strategic and focused testing via urine
tests could #ring a#out #ehavioural change, although it is unwise to generalise
this specic situation to that of a large school where only a small proportion of
the pupils will have pro#lems with drug or alcohol misuse.
P'F/2&MS W+$! $&S$+4H
$he only systematic study of random drug testing in schools failed to nd an
impact.>+n this study of ? 888 >th, 68th and 67th grade students across a
num#er of schools the researchers found that testing was not associated with
either the prevalence or the freCuency of student canna#is use and other illicit
drug use #y male high school athletes. McAeganey,B in an important review of
drug testing in schools pu#lished #y the @oseph 'owntree
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$here are signicant pro#lems associated with testing. $he cheapest form of
testing is the low)cost immunoassay urine test, and costs around 3SX6=R8 per
test66conrmatory tests also add to the cost.
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ᄃ
$here is a clear correlation #etween drug use and declining academicperformance.
:rug)impaired students undermine our country-s a#ility to compete on the worldstage. 3nfortunately, compared with many of our international competitors, the3.S. is operating at a handicap #ecause too many of our youth, indeed ourcitiIens, are a#using drugs. merica represents four percent of the worldspopulation, yet it consumes two)thirds of the world-s illegal drugs.
Zuoted from a new report documenting the fact that student drug use iscompromising academic success in 3. S. schools. $o read the full report #y @udyAreamer, Hary M.
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supportive of a pro)drugYpro)legaliIation messages. :o not let pro)drugadvocates such as the "23, the :rug Policy lliance, the Mari5uana PolicyPro5ect, the 4ational FrganiIation for the 'eform of Mari5uana 2aws et. al. tellyour communities and schools what is #est for your children or dictate whatschool prevention programs will #e implemented. 2earn a#out what other schoolshave done to successfully reduce drug use%listen to what educators andadministrators have to say a#out decreasing and deterring drug use in theirschools in this new report from the "oalition.
ᄃ
:o student drug)testing programs negatively impact studentsE 788> review and analysis of school report)card data on O7 4ew @ersey schooldistricts examined the Cuestion of how a student random drug)testing programimpacts student culture and morale in school districts where these preventionprograms have #een implemented as compared to non)testing districts. $he
results of the review and analysis are availa#le in a newreport from the Student:rug)$esting "oalition.
ᄃ
nother reason to consider implementing a student random drug)testingprogram
$he foundation for later su#stance use is set for most people #y the time theynish high school, licia ". Merline, M, *Su#stance use is still common at ageO, 3)M study nds, 3niversity of Michigan 4ews Service, 8O @an 788=.
3sing data on respondents to the Monitoring the , 3niversity of Michigan researchersrandomly selected graduates from this group to participate in follow)up surveysevery two years. What they found in this follow)up study was that su#stance usewas surprisingly prevalent at the start of mid)life and that there was a high levelof sta#ility of su#stance use over the 6>)year time period #y those who had useddrugs or drank heavily #y their senior year in high school.
Summary of ndingsR$hose using mari5uana #y their senior year were > times more likely to use it at
age O than those who had not tried it #y the 67th grade.R$hose using any illicit drug other than mari5uana #y their senior year were Otimes more likely to use cocaine and times more likely to misuse prescriptiondrugs at age O compared to students who had not used any illicit drug #y theirsenior year.R$hose who drank heavily were times more likely to drink heavily at O years of age compared to those who did not drink heavily as high school seniors.Source licia ". Merline, M, et al., *Su#stance 3se mong dults O 9ears ofge Prevalence, dulthood Predictors, and +mpact of dolescent Su#stance3se, @anuary 788=, Lol B=, 4o. 6, merican @ournal of Pu#lic !ealth, B)687.
$o read the full study httpYYwww.a5ph.orgYcontentYvolB=Yissue6Y
ᄃ
http://www.studentdrugtesting.org/CE%20Edwards%20SDT%20does%20it%20work.pdfhttp://www.studentdrugtesting.org/is%20there%20a%20negative%20impact%20with%20RSDT%20jul08.pdfhttp://www.ajph.org/content/vol94/issue1/http://www.studentdrugtesting.org/CE%20Edwards%20SDT%20does%20it%20work.pdfhttp://www.studentdrugtesting.org/is%20there%20a%20negative%20impact%20with%20RSDT%20jul08.pdfhttp://www.ajph.org/content/vol94/issue1/
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t their 66=th annual meeting, 6 Fct 788?, the +nternational ssociation of"hiefs of Police have adopted a 'esolution in support of student drug testingprevention programs. $o read the full resolution click here.
ᄃ
. . . and some people are still heard to say *. . . #ut it’s only mari5uana.mong persons aged 6> or older, those who rst used mari5uana#efore age 67 were twice as likely to have serious mental illnessin the past year as those who rst used mari5uana at age 6>or older. 'ecent research points to an association #etweenearly mari5uana use and a heightened risk of developingschiIophrenia or other psychological disorders.
Source *ge at
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Source of data P'+:& Surveys newsletter @anuary 6, 788?httpYYwww.pridesurveys.comYnewslettersYarchiveY86688?.htm
4ew report from ":"
new two)page report from ":" documents the evidence of the link #etween
drug use and violence. $he report is titled $he +nextrica#le 2ink $he
'elationship /etween lcohol, :rug 3se and Liolence mong Students and may
#e found athttpYYcadca.orgY"oalition'esourcesYPP)
documentsY$he+nextrica#le2ink.pdf
Studies a;rm drug use leads to poor academic performance
'esearch on student drug use and academic performance continues to support a
relationship #etween poor academic performance and drug use 0this includes
alcohol use1. $he most recent study using data from the 4ational Survey on :rug
3se and !ealth, 7887)788= continues to a;rm this relationship.
'esearchers found that the freCuency of the use of alcohol and mari5uana during
the past month was related to academic performance. Ff students reporting an
or / average
)?7.7T were students who did not use mari5uana in the past month as compared
with O>T of those who used mari5uana on 6 to = days in the past month and
==.BT of those who used mari5uana on O or more days during the past month.
)?7.OT were students who did not use alcohol during the past month as
compared with ?.6T of those who used 0#ut did not #inge on1 alcohol in the
past month and O?.?T of those who engaged in past month #inge alcohol use.
Source 3. S. :epartment of !ealth and !uman Services, Su#stance #use and
Mental !ealth Services dministration, 4ational Survey on :rug 3se and !ealth,
*cademic Performance and Su#stance 3se among Students ged 67 to 6?
7887, 788, and 788=. $he 4S:3! 'eport, +ssue 6>, May 788.
P'+:& Survey data nds adolescent su#stance use correlates with academicachievement
http://www.pridesurveys.com/newsletters/archive/011007.htmhttp://cadca.org/CoalitionResources/PP-documents/TheInextricableLink.pdfhttp://cadca.org/CoalitionResources/PP-documents/TheInextricableLink.pdfhttp://www.pridesurveys.com/newsletters/archive/011007.htmhttp://cadca.org/CoalitionResources/PP-documents/TheInextricableLink.pdfhttp://cadca.org/CoalitionResources/PP-documents/TheInextricableLink.pdf
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ccording to data analysis of the P'+:& Surveys 4ational Summary 788OY788,
academic performance of students surveyed showed a correlation #etween
student drug use and academic achievement. !igh percentages of students
using mari5uana andYor alcohol on a monthly #asis were shown to rarely make
good grades.
Summary of data analysis
R>T of students who rarely make good grades were also monthly mari5uana
users
RFnly ?T of students claiming monthly mari5uana use freCuently made good
grades
R=BT of students who used alcohol monthly had poor grade performance
RFnly 6>T of students claiming monthly alcohol use were academic achievers
RStudents with low academic performance also were shown to disproportionately
represent those students reporting truancy, discipline pro#lems, gang
mem#ership and #ullying
Source P'+:& 4ewsletter, 4ovem#er 6, 788
httpYYwww.pridesurveys.comYnewslettersYarchiveY6668.htm
ccording to a recent report from P'+:& surveys, parents dramatically
underestimate alcohol and drug use #y adolescents as young as 66 years of age.
Sixth)graders reporting use Parents saying sixth)grader uses
76T reported alcohol use OT said there was alcohol use
>.T reported drug use 8.BT said there was drug use
$welfth)graders reporting use Parents saying twelfth)grader uses
>T report alcohol use =6T said there was alcohol use
T report drug use 6OT said there was drug use
An overview of random drugs testing in schools@ A survey recently published by the News ofthe :orld on 0unday showed that C& of parents and ** of children support school drugtesting.
Drug use amongst young people is on the increase, but fortunately so is the awareness of thewhole issue. Despite this, such testing takes place %uite rarely in the B 2mainly in =ublic 6
http://www.pridesurveys.com/newsletters/archive/111606.htmhttp://www.pridesurveys.com/newsletters/archive/111606.htm
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=rivate 0chools4, although it is a more common practice in the 0A.
The average starting age for heroin abuse in many towns and cities in the B is currently +ust53, and a survey of over &',''' B school children showed that L of 5( year olds and overa %uarter 2&)4 of 53 year olds had used an illegal drug at some stage in their lives. 0o there
is obviously a need for more assertive intervention at an early age.
=arents face the growing concern that their teenager may already be taking drugs, or that theyare in an environment where they are e"posed to those who will offer them drugs, especially?annabis 6 #ari+uana. The frightening reality is that based on the statistics, this environmentmay well be their school.
In order to learn more about drug use 2and in particular ?annabis 6 #ari+uana supply andyoung people4, 5C& young people who were ?annabis 6 #ari+uana users aged between 55 and5L years old were interviewed for a study published in -anuary &''C by the -oseph !owntreeoundation. The sample included both city dwellers and young people living in rural villages.
The study discovered that half of the young people had taken ?annabis 6 #ari+uana intoschool or college and M( per cent admitted that they used ?annabis 6 #ari+uana whilst atschool or college. It is clear from the report that the ma+ority of these young people purchase?annabis from their friends or relatives and in turn supply their friends in a new wave ofsocial and notforprofit drug taking which is a departure from the typical dealeruserscenario. One young interviewee told the researchers that the people who sold her ?annabis 6#ari+uana included friends from school and shows how combining druguse with normalsocial networking is having the effect of normalising the act of taking drugs.
:hilst the institutions we supply school drug test kits to are benefiting from a reduction indrug use amongst their students 6 pupils, not everyone is in favour of random drug testing inschools.
A recent study by Neil #cBeganey, =rofessor of Drug #isuse !esearch at ;lasgowniversity, argues that random drug testing in schools is perhaps a more comple" andcontroversial issue than one would at first consider. uestions arise over matters includingcost, ethical issues 2such as what would happen in the event that a pupil tested positive fordrugs and what punishment or deterrent would be appropriate4, concerns that pupils mayswitch from easily detectable drugs to more harmful drugs in order to avoid detection, and the
probability that a trusting relationship between staff and pupil would be damaged and
encourage a culture of concealment. urthermore, some may argue that it is possible thatenforcing random drug testing of pupils would conflict with the N ?harter on the !ights ofthe ?hild or the 1uropean ?harter on 7uman !ights.
?ertainly, accident 6 incident 6 suspicion based testing is treated differently to random testingas you are only taking action on a case by case basis when there is an apparent need forfurther investigation. ?ombine this with earlier awareness and prevention strategies and weshould be closer to finding a solution to this growing problem.
!esults from an I?# !esearch poll which appeared in the News of the :orld on 0undaydemonstrated that C& of parents and ** of children support drug testing in schools and of
the 5,''' parents surveyed, L* said they would want to know if their son or daughter wastaking drugs, so the public perception is that there is a need for action.
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0o what can be done9
$ypes of School :rug $esting
or 0chools 6 ?olleges 6 niversities, please find more information on drug testing and the products and services we have to offer on our drug testing page.
• Onsite rine Drug Testing
• aboratory rine Drug Testing
• 7air Drug Tests
• Oral 6 0aliva Drug Tests
• 0urface Drug Detection :ipes
:e also offer drug and alcohol policy development / review consultancy services and drugawareness training.
or parents@
In the absence of a random drug screening programme at school or college, an"ious parents,guardians or caregivers who have concerns about teenagers or young people using drugs areable to conduct a drug test in the privacy of the home. These home drug test kits are useddaily by professionals in the healthcare industry and one test can provide easy to read results
in minutes for a variety of different drugs. This includes the most common drugs, such as?annabis 6 #ari+uana, ?ocaine, Amphetamines,
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So why choose Drug-Aware for your Drug Testing requirements
At Drug-Aware, we pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive solution when it comes to drug
testing!
Take a look at all of the additional e"tras we add as standard#
/lowing Smoke
Why random drug testing doesn't reduce
student drug use.Student smoking a 5oint
Drug testing of the American public has been steadily broadening over the past &' years,
from soldiers to grocery baggers to highschool and middleschool students. In its &'')
budget, the
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of the 5,(''member Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, pointed me to a
preliminary study that she likes better than #ichigan$s and that :alters also fre%uently
references. The study is funded by the Department of 1ducation and produced by the Institute
for descriptive,> chose nine schools that met certain criteria, the
first of which was, >The student drug testing program$s apparent success.> The study$s
methodology appears to add to the slant. !ather than gathering information from students and
analy/ing it, Du=ont relies on a %uestionnaire that asks how effective administrators think
their random drugtesting program is. 7e doesn$t claim neutrality. >I can$t %uite get the
argument that Edrug testingF wouldn$t work,> he says. 7e$s now working on an evaluation of
eight schools. The results won$t be ready soon, but let$s venture a prediction@ !andom drug
testing will come out looking good.
http://www.datia.org/http://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/bda_main.htmlhttp://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/bda_main.htmlhttp://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/bda_main.htmlhttp://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/bda_services.htmlhttp://www.studentdrugtesting.org/SDT%20DUPONT%20STUDY.pdfhttp://www.datia.org/http://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/bda_main.htmlhttp://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/bda_services.htmlhttp://www.studentdrugtesting.org/SDT%20DUPONT%20STUDY.pdf