Drug Testing in Schools: Heated debate

Drug testing is a topic of heated debate among researchers, professionals and intellectuals. Antagonists raised concern on the use of drugs in colleges or any educational institute and squabbled that drug impairs thinking and memory, reduces balance, increases heartbeat, lowers blood pressure, and can induce greater risk of chronic cough and respiratory problems.

 

Students involved in extracurricular activities in-school and subjected to drug testing reported less substance use as compared to students in high schools without drug testing.

 

But report of the U.S. Department of Education signified that drug testing has little impact for students. It is said that Drug testing is an ineffective way to combat drug abuse.

 

Advocates of drug testing in schools states that it is likely to reduce drug taking, deter use provide evidence where use is suspected, assist former users to remain abstinent, reassure parents that ‘something is being done’ and act as final proof when exclusion is being considered. The Office of National Drug Control Policy in US proclaims that random drug testing in schools has been effectual to lessen drug use and, most importantly, discourages drug use among adolescents. Drug testing was responsible for a significant reduction in cigarette smoking among 8th grade students.

 

The American Academy of Paediatrics advised that Schools should not be using random drug tests to catch or deter drug abusers.

 

Procedure of drug testing:

 

Drug testing is conducted by taking samples of blood, urine, saliva, hair, breath or sweat, and examining this sample to determine whether it contains certain substances.

 

The biological detection involves a screening test followed by a confirmatory test if positive. The different methods provide different information, with some, such as hair tests, able to test for drugs used within the past 12 weeks or longer depending on the length of the hair sample (7–100+ days). Other detection times include; 1–3 days for urine, 1–36 hours for saliva and 1–14 days for sweat. Each method carries its own problems.

 

Testing saliva has benefits of acceptability, and little chance of adulteration as it is obtained under direct observation.

 

Testing sweat is very costly as compared to other techniques, requires specialist laboratory services for analysis and can be contaminated by passive exposure.

 

Merits of drug testing:

 

1. Drug testing can recognise and eliminate to Problem Students: In a classroom, many students are consistently attempting to go against the teacher’s wishes. If these trouble students also happen to be taking drugs, then drug testing in schools assist to identify and remove them from the classroom.

 

 

 2. Drug testing also assists in Counselling process. Students who are taking drugs are at higher risk of falling between the cracks and finding hard in graduating. If they are tested earlier, students may be re-directed towards a better path. With proper counselling as well as supervision, a student can make bright future.

 

 

 3. Administer of Drug testing creates feeling of security: Due to drug testing in schools, there is the perception that other students will be safer because drugs will either not be around, or affecting students in such a way as to possibly cause problems for other students.

 

4. Drug testing may stop students from engaging in activity. For those students who use drugs, drug testing may cause them to reconsider their behaviour and change their habits. Simply having the threat of drug testing may discontinue certain children from engaging in the activity when stressed.

 

Demerits of drug testing in schools:

 

1. Drug testing is an offensive attack on student rights. Additionally, it can be seen as unnecessarily invasive, resulting in students and parents seeing personal rights ignored.

 

2. Drug test procedures are not always precise. If a drug test results in a false positive, then the student risks having actions taken against him or her despite having done nothing wrong. It may have negative impact on the health of students.

 

3. Drug tests are very expensive.

 

 Drug testing has both advantages and disadvantages. According to some professionals, random drug testing is not effective. But advocates squabble that it may help other students to secure and lessen the chances of using illicit drugs.