Violates our civil rights

I feel this violates not only my child's right, but my right as a parent. It is my job to make sure my kids are staying safe. Lets even
say your kid tried pot once, in this day and age everything goes into a data base. This is something that could follow them around
for the rest of their lives. For the individuals thinking you just proved our point, no I did not. You all must of been perfect as kids.

Drug test may be false

What if someone had put drugs into the drink, food, candy, etc. It can happen. And maybe they get poisoned. It's not their fault.
And they are being accused for something they didn't' know or do. Also, there is a pill that people may take so that when they take
a drug test it comes out negative. What if these kids are taking them? Yes so I don't agree with random drug testing in school.

Not all people are bad.

Some people think that all high school students are drug users, but in reality there is very few high school kids that actually use
drugs. I think that making innocent kids take drug tests is just wrong. Even having to take a drug test could ruin a person's
reputation with other people. If a good kid who always followed the rules went to school one day and they had to take a drug test,
how do you think they would feel? My guess is that they would not be happy with this situation and their reputation as a good kid
would go away almost immediately just because they had to take a drug test.

It's just stupid.

It's not worth it. Kids should be able to do what they want. It's their life, not yours. And even if they do, you will be fine. They just
have to know how to do it responsibly. Parents get so paranoid when it comes to this topic. Just let it go. They're just kids. Let

Drug test may be false.

What if someone had put drugs into the drink, food, candy, etc. It can happen. And maybe they get poisoned. It's not their fault.
And they are being accused for something they didn't' know or do. Also, there is a pill that people may take so that when they take
a drug test it comes out negative. What if these kids are taking them? Yes so I don't agree with random drug testing in school.

De-valuating Students Rights

 If you are forced to go to school, a drug test is most DEFINATELY an invasion of privacy. Every student then learns that they
actually have few of the rights they have been taught since birth. It is sickening that we, as a nation, treat children as adults. No
parenting?

NO NO NO

I am not saying that kids should be doing drugs, but this isn't the debate. First of all the cost for drug testing is way to high for how
ineffective it is and the poor condition our economy is in. Studies have shown that not only has there not been a change in the
amount of kids doing drugs in schools that have already have this program in place, in some cases it has an opposite effect and
kids are doing them more often. Second kids are very smart these days and are finding many ways to alter the results of tests.
Another thing that is common is that kids will turn to alcohol or cocaine because they leave the body much quicker than marijuana
would. Not only this if the child has been in trouble many times for even drugs that leave body in a day or two, they are turning to
such things as airdusters ,that wont show up at all, which could be fatal on the first use, restricting air to the brain. Something to
think about Many schools have just a standard urinalysis test in place, but don't test for steroids that cost up to $200 per test. That
is not responsible of these schools. If you have to test then why not test for everything. Its one thing to test someone at a job,
because they are getting paid to be there. Kids are required by law to go to school, with a system like this, what are we teaching
our kids about privacy and rights......to give them up I suppose

It's just not right...

I am against drugs completely. But I believe that students should not be searched without proper reasons. Imagine if the
government broke into your house and searched and then tested you? We need to think about the Amendments here, the
protection from search and seizure. I do not like seeing students on drugs, but if suspicion is given (bad grades, 'slacking', etc.)
then maybe a test should be given. I actually place myself on the yes side, but the money of testing (it is not free) could be spend
on new books, desks, teachers etc. due to the current economy.

Just--why?

Is drug testing really important to the educational system? Last year, my school spent 180,000 dollars drug testing student athletes.
That money could have bought new text books, new teachers, and maybe fix the electrical system at the school that never works.

It is stupid.

Drug testing teens is retarded. Those who are addicted would just try to hide it better and try not to get caught. Telling them not to
do it is just going to make them want to do it even more. If they decide to ruin their lives by doing drugs than that's your choice
otherwise stay the freaking a out of it.


nvasion of Privacy

It is a complete invasion of privacy to force every single student in a school district to have to take a drug
test. It has the possibility to offend some students, along with their parents, grandparents, etc. I, for one,
would not like it at all if I was forced to take a drug test for my school, of all things.

Because its stupid.

I just hate the idea of some random person I don't even know coming up to me and saying "Hey I need
your pee." It's just weird. And if they do random drug tests and I don't get someone else pee then
obviously I'm going to get caught!! And that's not good.

Against Rights for Students

I feel that drug testing is not necessary in schools if the issue is not obvious. If a student is doing drugs
and is not bothering anyone with them or is not disturbing the community, what is the point of taking it
away? There is no reason for stopping the use if it cannot be easily identified.

Why not spend it on more important things?

I agree with everyone else on the negative side of this argument. I believe that it is an intrusion of
privacy on the student's end and is completely pointless. Why not spend the money for drug testing on
more important things like books? What would happen if the student did test positive? If the school
kicked the student out they would just have given the student more problems and the student would
most likely seek refuge in the form of drugs.

It is just a bad bad idea!

Drug testing is just a waste of money! Yes some may be using drugs but not all. If you were to have
mandatory drug testing for school activities many would not participate. Students want their privacy.
With teachers invading their privacy it would cause students to rebel even more than they would have.
And teachers searching the student would make to students feel untrustworthy. If a student were to
 want to participate in an activity they make back out because they don't want a drug test. It is just a bad
bad idea!

How do over 50% agree to this?

Drug tests are expensive and they are not always accurate. According to an article on CBSNews false
positives occur between five and ten percent of the time, and false negatives occur between ten and
fifteen percent of the time.

High school students are for some reason treated like criminals in this country. When I was in high school
a few years ago I did not use drugs, but it still really aggravated me when the cops would come in with
the dogs and do random searches. My senior year they had the dogs go through the parking lot, and
they tagged over half the cars in the parking lot for drugs. They scratched up many of these cars, and
searched them, but only found drugs in two cars.

Why Schools Should Not Be Allowed to Mandate Drug Testing

Imagine yourselves at school facing a mandatory drug test just because the administration thinks you
MIGHT have done drugs. Mandatory drug testing has been in effect in many schools around the United
States, but still remain an explosive topic today. Because many people like me believe that mandatory
drug testing in public schools is a clear violation of our right to privacy, and just doesn't work to deter
drug use. In fact the 4th Amendment to the constitution states that, "The right of the people to be secure
in their persons, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated...

It's Just Not Right

What if there is an all star player who gets drug tested and fails for a little weed that he smoked over the
weekend. He gets kicked off the team and his grades start to slip. But none of this was a problem in the
first place. He was a great kid. Meanwhile there are kids who ARE having problems in school and drugs
ARE a problem for them. But they're not getting tested. Drug testing really should only be used if it
becomes a problem in school. They say it will cut down on the number of kids that do drugs, but I think
it will just cause kids to use drugs that don't show up on drug tests. Possibly more dangerous ones.

Violation of Rights
 I'm a high school student and I'm actually researching a debate on this topic (hoping to be the negative).
I feel like mandatory drug testing is a violation of ones rights as a United States citizen and a violation of
ones rights as a human being. Amendment 4 of the Bill of Rights outlaws unreasonable search and
seizure; I feel like the mandating of one to produce a urine sample for submission is an unreasonable
seizure of ones property. As a high school senior, I'm not going to lie and say I've never tried marijuana
but my curiosity should not result in punishment at school. High schools have no reason to test students
for illicit drug use because high school is a default. You apply for jobs or apply to be in the military, but
you don't apply to go to high school so you shouldn't be subject to a screening that should be a part of
an application.

Invasion of privacy.

I have never taken drugs, nor will I, I'm not stupid enough to want to give myself hallucinations or ruin
my brain. If others do, why not, marijuana is less harmful than tobacco, and way harder to get. Even
harder than getting alcohol as a minor. That's what's tested all the time anyway, so it's pretty much
pointless. Sure it has some harm, and it's a 'gateway drug' but at least they aren't running people over in
drunk driving accidents.

It's a waste of money

Students are being randomly tested for drugs. This means that the money spent on the student to check
for any drug usage will be wasted. I personally believe in drug testing but I don't believe in randomly
violating a student's fourth amendment rights just to waste money on he or she for drug testing even if
there are no suspicions about the student using drugs.

Freedom should mean fredom

How do you teach this is a free country then take there freedom at same time. Anyone that agree with
drug testing should be ban from this country. Teach the dangers of drugs would be great. Use examples
like the congressmen or senators or mayors and governors that take drugs and pass stupid laws that puts
are children prison. If it's unconstitutional to test the president and governors then why is it ok to test
anyone else.

No drug testing
 Goes against ere rights and as a high school student I wouldn't want to be tested. I don't do drugs cuz
they. Are dumb so why should I be tested if I have no record of drug use or show no signs of drug use I
mean wtf we don't need this

Students and Children have rights too!

Health issues need to be taken care of by the parents not the schools. The schools need to concentrate
on teaching and education. Also drug testing in schools violates the fourth , the fifth , and the fourteenth
Amendment to the US Constitution. The same laws that protect teachers from getting random drug tests.
Tell me why aren't teachers and school district staff being randomly drug tested in schools? Parents have
the fundamental and legal right to the upbringing and education of their children.

Violates 4th amendment right

Men and women have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. We should not be so non-chalant about
giving them away. We teach our children that it is ok for the government to use coercion 'for the
common good'. Our 4th amendment protects us against unlawful search and seizure, 'without probable
cause'. School officials cannot enter a student's vehicle (off school property) or his bedroom and search
it. Is it not a search when an inspection is performed on his bodily fluid?

No, they should not be mandatory.

They should not be mandatory because that is just a way to invade someones personal space. It should
only be necessary if there is a form of suspicion on a student, not the whole school. This would be like
asking should your house be searched? Students are still citizens and have rights.

Violation of privacy, plain and simple

What a person does with their own body in the privacy of their own home is their own business so long
as they are not harming, or infringing upon the rights of, other people. Mandatory drug tests would be
unethical even if there were no consequences for testing positive. Sadly, there can be severe
consequences both for refusing the drug test AND for testing positive after consenting. Unless you allow
 yourself to be bullied into making an important life decision -- quitting drugs -- for all the wrong reasons,
it's a lose/lose situation.

Helps the kids.

Its not your life you want to take care of. If they want to do drugs,let them do drugs. It isnt hurting your
health if they do drugs so shut up. If they want to waste their money let them. Some parents may sell
drugs so they will be caught if you test the kids. Bye

Economic Disaster If Testing Is Mandated

The cost of testing the athletes would be too expensive for year to year testing. Also, if testing is
enacted, those students who fail the test will be dismissed from the team for an extended period of time.
With those players gone, there is a possibility that most would be key athletes on the teams. Since the
athletes are not playing, spectators will not come to watch sporting events since the level of competition
would be lowered - thus lowering revenue. Less revenue would make it harder to erase the losses from
the individual drug tests themselves. Money from the school would be lost, and year after year more
money would be thrown into the garbage.

It violates our rights.

IT goes against our rights as students! If I did not give you permission to go through my things don't
touch them! I'm really not a violent person but you cant expect me to be okay with you going through
my personal things! I do not do drugs and I just hope that everyone would believe me!

If a student tests positive for drugs, should that student face disciplinary consequences?

The primary purpose of drug testing is not to punish students who use illicit drugs but to prevent future illicit drug

use and to help students already using become drug-free. If a student tests positive for drugs, schools can respond

to the individual situation. If a student tests positive for drug use but has not yet progressed to addiction, the

school can require counseling and follow-up testing. For students diagnosed with addiction, parents and a school

administrator can refer them to effective drug treatment programs to begin the recovery process.

How do some schools conduct drug testing?Following models established in the workplace, some schools conduct

random drug testing and/or reasonable suspicion/cause testing. This usually involves collecting urine samples to
test for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), and opioids (both heroin and

prescription pain relievers).

In random testing, students are selected regardless of their drug use history and may include students required to

do a drug test as a condition of participation in an extracurricular activity. In reasonable suspicion/cause testing, a

student can be asked to provide a urine sample if the school suspects or has evidence that he or she is using

drugs, such as:

school officials making direct observations

the student showing physical symptoms of being under the influence or patterns of abnormal or erratic behavior

Why do some schools conduct random drug tests?Schools adopt random student drug testing to decrease drug

misuse and illicit drug use among students. First, they hope random testing will serve as a deterrent and give

students a reason to resist peer pressure to take drugs. Secondly, drug testing can identify teens who have started

using illicit drugs and would benefit from early intervention, as well as identify those who already have drug

problems and need referral to treatment. Using illicit drugs not only interferes with a student's ability to learn, but

it can also disrupt the teaching environment, affecting other students as well.

Is random drug testing of students legal?In June 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court broadened the authority of public

schools to test students for illegal drugs. The court ruled to allow random drug tests for all middle and high school

students participating in competitive extracurricular activities. The ruling greatly expanded the scope of school drug

testing, which previously had been allowed only for student athletes.

Why test teenagers at all?Teens' brains and bodies are still developing, and this makes them especially vulnerable

to the harmful effects of drug use. Most teens do not use illicit drugs, but for those who do, it can lead to a wide

range of adverse effects on their behavior and health.

Short term: Even a single use of an intoxicating drug can affect a person's judgment and decision-making, resulting

in accidents, poor performance in school or sports activities, unplanned risky behavior, and overdose.

Long term: Repeated drug use can lead to serious problems, such as poor academic outcomes, mood changes

(depending on the drug: depression, anxiety, paranoia, psychosis), and social or family problems caused or

worsened by drugs.

Repeated drug use can also lead to addiction. Studies show that the earlier a teen begins using drugs, the more

likely he or she will develop a substance use disorder (SUD). An SUD develops when continued drug use causes

issues, such as health problems and failure to meet responsibilities at home, work, or school. An SUD can range
from mild to severe, the most severe form being addiction. Conversely, if teens stay away from drugs while in high

school, they are less likely to develop an SUD later in life.

For more information about health effects, see our Commonly Abused Drugs Charts.

How many students actually use drugs?Findings from the 2016 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of 8th, 10th,

and 12th graders showed that past-year use of illicit drugs other than marijuana is down from recent peaks in all

three grades.

Twenty-one percent of 12th graders say that they've used any illicit drug other than marijuana at least once in

their lifetime, and about 36 percent reported using marijuana in the last year. Misuse of prescription drugs is also a

concernfor example, in 2016, more than 6 percent of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of the

prescription stimulant Adderall in the past year.1 Read more about the MTF survey results in our Monitoring the

Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends DrugFacts.

What testing methods are available?There are several testing methods currently available that use urine, hair, oral

fluids, and sweat. These methods vary in cost, reliability, drugs detected, and detection period. Schools can

determine their needs and choose the method that best suits their requirements, as long as the testing kits are

from a reliable source.

Which drugs can be tested for?Various testing methods normally test for a "panel" of five to 10 different drugs. A

typical drug panel tests for marijuana, cocaine, opioids (including the prescription pain relievers OxyContin and

Vicodin), amphetamines, and PCP. If a school has a particular problem with other drugs, such as 3,4-methylenedioxy-

methamphetamine (MDMA), gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), or appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs (steroids),

they can include testing for these drugs as well. It is also possible to screen for synthetic cannabinoids, commonly

known as Spice and K2.

What about alcohol?Alcohol is a drug, and its use is a serious problem among young people. However, alcohol does

not remain in the blood long enough for most tests to detect most recent use. Breathalyzers, oral fluid tests, and

urine tests can only detect use within the past few hours. The cut-off is usually detection of the presence of alcohol

for the equivalent of a blood alcohol content greater than 0.02 percent (20mg/1dL).2 Teens with substance use

problems often engage in polydrug use (they use more than one drug), so identifying a problem with an illicit or

prescription drug may also suggest an alcohol problem.

How accurate are drug tests? Is there a possibility a test could give a false positive?The accuracy of drug tests from

a certified lab is very high, and confirmation tests can help to rule out any false positives. Usually, samples are

divided so that if an initial test is positive, a confirmation test can be conducted. Federal guidelines are in place to

ensure accuracy and fairness in drug-testing programs.

Can students "beat" the tests?Many drug-using students are aware of techniques that supposedly detoxify their

systems or mask their drug use. Internet sites give advice on how to dilute urine samples, and there are even

companies that sell clean urine or products designed to distort test results. A number of techniques and products
are focused on urine tests for marijuana, but masking products are becoming more available for tests on hair, oral

fluids, and multiple drugs.

Most of these products do not work, are very costly, and are easily identified in the testing process. Moreover, even

if the specific drug is successfully masked, the product itself can be detected, in which case the student using it

would become an obvious candidate for additional screening and attention. In fact, some testing programs label a

test positive if a masking product is detected.

What has research determined about the utility of random drug tests in schools?Study findings in this area show

mixed results, but researchers generally agree that student drug testing should not be a stand-alone strategy for

reducing substance use in students and that school climate (the quality and character of school life) is an important

factor for achieving success in drug prevention programs. Because there is not a clear benefit to drug testing in

schools, the American Academy of Pediatrics "opposes widespread implementation of drug testing as a means of

achieving substance abuse intervention.3 Relevant studies include the following:

A NIDA-funded study published in 2013 found evidence of lower marijuana use in the presence of school drug testing and evidence of

higher use of illicit drugs other than marijuana. Otherwise, the study found no causal relationships between school drug testing and patterns

of substance use.4

A study published in 2013 found that positive school climate was associated with reduced likelihood of marijuana and cigarette initiation

and cigarette escalation, and that student drug testing was not associated with changes in the initiation or escalation of substance use. The

authors conclude that improving school climates is a promising strategy for preventing student substance use, while testing is a relatively

ineffective drug prevention policy.5

A study published in 2012 found that students subject to mandatory random student drug testing reported less substance use than

comparable students in high school without such testing. The study found no impact of random drug testing reported by students not

participating in testing on the intention to use substances, the perceived consequences of substance use, participation in activities subject to

drug testing, or school connectedness.6

Results from a study published in 2012 indicate that drug testing is primarily effective at deterring substance use for female students in

schools with positive climates. The authors conclude that drug testing should not be implemented as a stand-alone strategy for reducing

substance use and that school climate should be considered before implementing drug testing. 7

A NIDA-funded study published in 2007 found that random drug and alcohol testing had no deterrent effects on student athletes for past-

month use during any of four follow-up periods. However, in two of four follow-up self-reports, student athletes reduced past-year drug

use, and two assessments showed a reduction of drug and alcohol use as well. Because the conflicting findings between past-month and

past-year substance use, more research is needed. 8