Drug Testing in Schools

Drug testing in schools across the country is becoming more popular every year. I'm not a real big fan of this trend. Though I would never support drug use among athletes (the majority of students being tested), I'm just not convinced that drug testing does anything to curb the problem. I'm not the only one with reservations:

The belief that testing deters kids from using drugs or gives them a peer-worthy reason to say no has not been proved, some say. A 2003 study by the University of Michigan surveying 76,000 students found no difference in marijuana or other illicit drug use in schools with testing compared with those without programs.

Podobas, the San Clemente senior, says few students fear being caught. The tests don't pick up all drugs and are administered too infrequently to worry teens, he says. Others have learned to beat the system by sharing a clean urine sample when called to the bathrooms in groups.

It says in this article that about half of all high school seniors have done drugs before. I can see how people would be alarmed by that number, but I think that other things need to be considered as well. How many of these students only tried using once, before mving on to more interesting things? How many are in extracurricular activities, the only way they can be tested? What about the half of students that have never tried drugs? Is it worth it to express distrust in these kids even though they've done nothing to deserve it?

Apparently so:

His mother, Robyn, thinks her son steers clear of drugs and alcohol. But, she says, no parent can know for sure what a teenager is up to.

"If he doesn't like testing, I really don't care," she says. "I think it's a wonderful tool."

So basically there is nothing these kids can do to be trusted to stay clean other than to piss in a cup.

Nice.