"We find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the School District’s legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring, and detecting drug use.”





Justice Clarence Thomas



As a student myself, I feel it necessary to address the issues of drug testing in schools. Drug testing is a controversial topic that can present many problems in school systems. When considering drug testing, one must consider the ethics of the decision. One must also determine the reason for drug testing, and how effectively go about it.

In the case of the Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County et al. v. Earls et al., the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a drug-testing program for students involved in competitive extracurricular activities. This decision only allows drug testing for a greater number of students; it is not a blank check for testing all students. Before implementing drug testing into a schools system, one should familiarize themselves with the law regarding student drug testing.

Due to advances in technology, researchers are able to capture pictures of the brain under the influence of drugs. As these images clearly show, the pleasurable sensations produced by some drugs are due to actual physical changes in the brain. Many of these changes are long-lasting, and some are irreversible. Recently scientists have found that the human brain does not completely develop in early childhood, it continues developing into adolescence. The use of illegal drugs can therefore have far more serious harmful effects on adolescents than on adults. Kids on drugs cannot perform as well in school as their drug-free peers of equal ability. So if testing reduces students’ use of illicit drugs, it will remove a significant barrier to academic achievement.

Substance abuse should be recognized for what it is—a major health issue—and dealt with accordingly. Like vision and hearing tests, drug testing can warn parents to the potential problems that continued drug use might cause, such as liver or lung damage, memory impairment, addiction, overdose, even death. Once the drug problem has been identified, intervention and then treatment can begin.

Testing can also be an effective way to prevent drug use. The prospect that they may be randomly tested is enough to make some students stop using drugs—or never start in the first place. While some students rebel against the idea of drug testing, many support it. It gives them a good excuse to say “no” to drugs. Peer pressure among kids can be a powerful and persuasive force. Knowing they may have to take a drug test can help kids overcome the pressure to take drugs by giving them a convenient way “out.” This could serve them well in years to come: Students represent the workforce of tomorrow, and eventually many will need to pass a drug test to get a job.

Drug use can quickly turn to dependence and addiction, trapping users in a vicious cycle that destroys families and lives. Students who use drugs or alcohol are statistically more likely to drop out of school than their peers who don’t. Dropouts, in turn, are more likely to be unemployed, to depend on the welfare system, and to commit crimes. If drug testing deters drug use, everyone benefits—students, their families, their schools, and their communities.

Drug and alcohol abuse not only interferes with a student’s ability to learn, it also disrupts the environment necessary for all students to succeed. Studies have shown that students who use drugs are more likely to bring guns and knives to school, and that the more marijuana a student smokes, the greater the chances he or she will be involved in physical attacks, property destruction, stealing, and cutting classes. If parents and students can expect schools to offer protection from violence, racism, and other forms of abuse, they have the right to expect a learning environment free from the influence of drugs.



Confidentiality is a major concern with students and their parents. Schools have a responsibility to respect students’ privacy, so it is extremely important that only the people who need to know the test results see them—parents and school administrators. The results should not be shared with anyone else, not even teachers.