Why Drug Testing Fails in Schools
Drug testing, a controversial and much-debated topic, does little to deter drug use, according to two studies published in 2003. According to "The Science Behind Drug Abuse," teens do drugs for a variety of reasons. Combating these reasons with drug testing hasn't been shown to work.
Other People Are Reading
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Types
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Teenagers relaxing "Student Drug Testing Not Effective in Reducing Drug Use" states that about 19 percent of American secondary schools have a form of drug testing. Schools mostly test students identified "for cause," which is evidence or suspicion of illicit drug use. Other times schools test athletes, students on probation or students who volunteer.
Significance
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A study by Oregon Health and Science University, "Random Drug Testing Not Reliable in Keeping Teen Athletes From Using," states that overall rates of student athletes who participated in randomized drug testing were comparable to students not in the program. The study also found these students showed an increase, by some indicators, of future drug abuse.
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Misconceptions
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One argument against drug testing is that fewer students will participate in extracurricular activities because of the privacy violation caused by drug testing. "Random Drug Testing Not Reliable in Keeping Teen Athletes From Using" found that drug testing did not reduce participation.
Effects
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Drug testing as a deterrent does not work. "Student Drug Testing Not Effective in Reducing Drug Use" states that there was "virtually no difference in drug use rates between those schools that had random testing and those that did not." Additionally, drug testing in schools is expensive and yields few positive results.
Expert Insight
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"The Science Behind Drug Abuse" stresses that drug use can often be traced to the user's genes. Other factors such as home environment and role models also shape a student's decision to use drugs. Drug testing after the student has already been using may be too late to act as a deterrent.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Leonid Mamchenkov Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Dan Foy
