Should schools conduct mandatory drug testing?
For the Sake of Our Children, Yes
Yes, schools should conduct mandatory drug testing. With all of the violence and drug deals going on it is only right that schools should require drug testing. Teachers and parents both need to be aware of which children have a drug problem so they can intervene and get them help before it’s too late. Drugs are far too common in our schools. Even though mandatory testing will be looked upon as an infringement on a person’s rights, it has become necessary to do this for the sake of our youngsters.
Posted by: Anonymous
No, schools should not conduct mandatory drug tests
They are not the law, and what the students choose to do on their own time is no one's business but their own. If that includes doing any form of drugs, so be it. It is not the school's responsibility to dictate behaviors, just to educate. Maybe if schools focused more on that, instead on what a student can or can't do, you'd have smarter graduates and a higher graduate rate in general. Just a thought.
Posted by: AnonymousNo
Drug testing in any school, mandatorily, violates a students rights. There should only be testing on a student with permission from law enforcement, with reasonable doubt for the student to be tested. Asking to obtain samples of dna from a part of your body is unlawful without an order for testing, therefore a violation of rights.
Posted by: narcolepsychoNo
The lack of trust implicit on testing must not be underestimated. By subjecting a young person to testing, even with the student's and parental consent, implies a loss of trust. The process of testing may be long and involved with initial screening tests and then confirmatory tests if the result is positive. This process may be harmful for the child, leading him or her to be labeled as a user. If drug testing is introduced it must therefore be supported by treatment and a supportive environment.
Posted by: Manik123Mandatory drug testing creates a slippery slope.
Mandatory drug testing in public schools represents an unlawful search that violates students' rights to privacy. Because drug testing demands personal information from a person's own body, there needs to be reasonable doubt before any public official (including school administrators) can rightfully investigate an individual for possession or use of illegal substances.
Posted by: LivingJimmy