jsisser posted on April 08, 2011 07:18
School board members are making a positive change by moving forward with a random drug testing policy for students with parking passes or in extracurricular activities and sports.
After administrators presented the benefits of random drug testing, the school board approved a plan to develop a testing policy next year.
Testing students will be a good change to the current athletic and extracurricular policy. These tests will find teens abusing drugs or alcohol and get them the help they need.
Furthermore, a the policy will give students a reason to say no to drugs. Fewer teens will drink at a party or abuse illegal substances if they know they might be tested.
All athletes sign contracts saying they will not use drugs, so it only seems fair to hold students accountable for their decisions.
Drug abuse is a problem. According to a November survey of 1,364 Findlay students conducted by administrators, 48 percent of students either agree or strongly agree that drugs are an issue at the high school.
Some see drug testing as an invasion of privacy, but when each week brings new stories about so-and-so drinking at a party or smoking weed, something must be done.
The policy will likely include a consequence of required counseling or rehab. Unless the student has drugs with them in the building, law enforcement will not be notified.
Keeping law enforcement out of the policy shows administrators are using drug testing as a tool to help students, not to simply get them in academic or legal trouble.
One of the more common arguments against drug testing is that school administrators should not care what students do outside the classroom. Why is it their business?
The answer is simple—drug abuse doesn’t just go away when students enter the school building. Illegal substances affect your health, the way you act and your ability to think (which, frankly, is pretty important in school).
This isn’t about catching drug users and giving them what they deserve. Instead, administrators are helping students make responsible decisions, giving them the help they need and improving the overall quality of the school.