Do you think High Schools should be allowed to test students for drug use?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

With very, very specific methods of searching. No female student should ever be searched by a male teacher or non-related male parent.

Prescription drugs should be allowed and the teacher and student should have written and running logs with authorized signatures next to the time and amount of prescription drug needed/taken by the student.

Blood and urine samples should be taken by a medical staff, randomly, of any student, especially those students involved in sports.

Let's make certain that the right to test students is not misused by anyone, parents or teachers. Students should not be stripped searched in the hallway as a punishment for not doing their homework, under the disguise of any drug testing program.

The dignity of the student must never be compromised.

With very strict guidelines drawn up by the school board, P.T.A., psychologists and judicial oversight, it can be done. Testing students for drug use is an issue that should be left to the parents. But, to answer the question...

Yes...with very strict guidelines that will not embarrass, compromise or jeopardize the integrity of the student or the intent of drug testing program.

And, what about testing employees on the job for drug or substance abuse. Should adults be tested in the work place?

And, what about cops, firemen, ambulance drivers, and, I almost forgot...the school teacher.

Should they be tested as well...?

Answer 3

No. I also do not agree with jobs requiring a drug test to be passed before you can begin work. If a person goes to work (or school) day in and day out and does a good job then it is no ones business what that individual does when he/she is not at work/school. If there is reasonable suspicion that is a different story but just to test for no reason is an invasion of privacy.
I also feel this way about random check points for drunk drivers. Stopping people randomly just to see if they've been drinking is harassment. If a cop is tailing someone and they are swerving all over the road, fine, pull them over for sure. But setting up road blocks and randomly stopping whoever they want is a sign of a police state.

Answer 4

Yes, there should be random drug tests and also when they walk in the door there should be those metal detectors. I'd like to feel safe in my classroom and I would like my students to feel safe as well. Also, the exits should be alarmed except the front where students are coming in for the day. Teachers should always walk students out of the building, even if they are in high school and if students complain, they need to be reminded that at least they are safe.

Answer 5

yes, because whether a student does drugs or not, the test will show. If u refuse the test, u obviously have something to hide. Myself being in HS, I would not object to the test. It would prove that 1/2 my school does drugs

Answer 6

No I don't not without probable cause. There is a right of privacy that even a student should have--basically not to have one's privacy invaded unless there is cause given for that invasion. A drug test should only be administered when there is a reasonable suspicion of drug use--not as a dragnet to find drug use.

Now, unfortunately the US Supreme Court has disagreed with me. It says that an extracurricular activity being not mandatory can be conditioned upon passing a drug test.

As far as I know however, for an activity that you are required to participate in, like generally being in school, nobody has mandated drug testing and the court has not ruled on this issue. I suspect that the fact you must be in school would change the outcome if/when the issue got to it. The theory for testing for extra curricular activity is that you are volunteering to engage in that activity and therefore you are consenting to give up your privacy. So conversely, if you are obligated to be in school by government (and you are) the unreasonable search for and seizure of evidence would probably be prohibited because you are not consenting to be there, you are forced to be there.

My personal opinion is in all contexts, what you put into your body is your own business and nobody should be able to test for any substance unless there is cause--i.e. irratic behavior, poor performance, obvious drug intoxication. In short you could be flying high on the latest drug, as long as you learn, do your job competently and harm nobody, its nobody else's business whether they are the government or your employer or parent.

Unfortunately, not enough people agree with my position, especially in the business area. Those people are motivated by fear of liability or somebody going postal I guess. The idea that you have to take a drug test to get a job is repugnant, but again the courts uphold it because a) its not a government requiring it and b) theoretically you are consenting to it freely (even though we know you are being economically coerced into peeing in a cup for some urine jockey--and they won't give you the job if you refuse).

Take this to its logical conclusion, why can't your potential employer start asking your for a sample of your genes? Can you imaging the potential for abuse of that information? How about demanding that you "donate" blood? Its not much of a donation (which means gift) if you are required to do it, but what's to stop a potential employer from doing things like that? Drug testing by employers is no different.

Besides, if we start requiring drug testing in schools we are teaching a very bad lesson to our children and establishing a very bad precedent. The lesson is we don't trust you, we assume you are using drugs until you prove otherwise by giving a sample of your pee or hair or blood. The idea in this country is you are innocent until proven guilty and that you are left alone unless you give the government cause to act. Here we are turning the tables, we are saying as a society "prove to us that you are not using drugs by peeing in a cup." That's guilty until you prove yourself innocent. That's taking action to invade a person's privacy with no shown cause. That violates the principles set forth by the founders and its does it without much thought for the implications.

Also, they don't test for ALL drugs and they don't test for Alcohol and if they find a prescription drug and you have a prescription for it, they have to give you a pass. Well we all know that some "pill doctors" will give any patient what they ask for, we know that alcoholism is more common than drug use and we all know that some drugs won't show up because they can be masked or are not tested for....also drug tests can be fooled by a smart testee...so exactly what good is drug testing anyway?

My answer in short is NO!

Answer 7

Yes.
The school is responsible for keeping students safe and drug users are not safe. They are in danger themselves and pose a dramatically higher danger to others. The object is not to bust people but to help.
I also believe big time traffickers should be eligible for life sentences. No invading army has done as much damage to this nation as the legion of drug pushers; they must be stopped.

Answer 8

definitely. if not the high school and not the parent...then who will? most parents are too scared to lose their child's trust by randomly testing their urine for drugs. schools are very important in making sure kids stay in line. if no one has anything to hide, no one should be worried. it's only those kids who are seriously taking drugs that worry about it. and why not have a high school that drug tests and never finds anything? that way they can just be more proud...

Answer 9

No, but high schools should be able to make parents get their kids tested for drugs.

Answer 10

No that's a violation of the US constitution. They are trying to condition our kids to give up there rights willingly. Those of us who remember the 70's and 80's can see it. Our kids get used to it and when they become adults they will be more willing to give up more rights.. Can't anyone see this! Are most of you people so short sighted, blind, or the like. I'll be dammed to let the schools take away my right to raise my son the way I see fit. What i what him exposed to or not exposed to. I plan on giving him the knowledge he will need to survive in this world and hopefully be able to make mostly right choices. Teach him to use the knowledge he has to better his life and what types of people to stay away from. That's MY!!!!! job NOT!!!!!!! the schools, governments, or ANY one elses job. I fought hard to get custody and give him a good home. NO one will undermine my authority as my son's dad. He won't be raised to believe what he sees on TV or that the government is always right and needs to take care of him.

That goes for every parent. They are our children not the government's. We all need to raise our kids the best way we can and prepare them for life. Not just look at them as kids but give them the trust to do what's right and let them make their mistakes because that's what they will learn from. Back them when they want to make dicissions. Stear them in the right directions, but give them the wheel as they get older. What these schools are doing is forcing what ever morals they see fit on them, without our consent.

Our choice, not their's when it comes to raising our children.

Answer 11

Only if there's reasonable reason to believe a student is coming to school high. If they get high in their spare time (weekends) then I find that to be an invasion of privacy.