Mandatory Drug Testing for Student Athletes

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High schools in various school districts have conducted research to try and prove that mandatory drug testing can prevent drug use among student athletes. Mandatory drug testing already occurs at the college and professional level in almost all sports. Drug testing is required at the higher levels because steroids and other drugs are often used to gain a competitive advantage (Bouchard and Sprague 1). To ensure that students remain drug free and improve their performance not only in their sport, but also in the classroom, it is necessary for authorities to perform a mandatory drug test throughout each high school (Issit and Newton 1). Mandatory drug testing started as early as the 1980’s, where it became a regular practice in schools because of the concern of drug use among young people (Lee and Walter 1). However, some believe that drug testing among high school students is unconstitutional and ineffective (Ballaro and Finley 1). Mandatory drug testing often motivates the students to not use drugs; therefore, it should not be considered a “pointless exercise.” So, what is the best solution to ensure that student athletes remain drug free and live a healthy lifestyle? In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that schools are allowed to drug test students as long as it does not affect them academically. More than 1,000 middle and high schools have chosen to require students to have a drug test administered before they are able to participate in after school activities. If a student’s test results come back positive for the use of drugs, the student is usually banned from extracurricular activities until they participate in counseling and follow up tests (Ballaro and Finley 2). This may seem like an effective way to stop student... ... middle of paper ... ... teachers and administrators want to keep the repetition of the education system positive, then they need to be supportive of drug testing. Parents also need to courage their children to stay drug free. It is commonsense to continue a program that is working and can help many students stay drug free (Issitt 4). Works Cited Ballaro, Beverly and Finley, Laura. “Point: Just Say No to Mandatory Drug Testing in Schools.” Points of View: Mandatory Drug Testing (2013):1-8. Bouchard, Erika and Sprague, Nancy. “Drug Testing for Sports: An Overview.” Points of View: Drug Testing for Sport (2013): 1-6. Issit, Micah and Newton, Heather. “Counterpoint: Mandatory Drug Testing Programs Protect Students.” Points of View: Mandatory Drug Testing (2013): 1-7. Lee, M. and Walter, Andrew. “Mandatory Drug Testing: An Overview.” Points of View: Mandatory Drug Testing (2013):1-5.

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