Should Drug Testing Be Allowed In Schools

Champions are not made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them- a desire, a dream, a vision.” -Muhamad Ali. In 1995, the United States Supreme ruled that drug testing for high school athletes was constitutional. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 28.4% of eighth, tenth, and twelfth grader have been using drugs in 2013 (NoBullying.com). In the United States, high schools should conduct mandatory, random drug tests among their student athletes since the number of athletes using drugs has doubled within the past year.
In the first place, the use of drugs while playing in competitive sports should not be allowed because if the school officials feel you are abusing your privilege of sports, in

the future they may take that away from you. The school does not have to give you the right to play sports, therefore, it is a privilege. If an individual is using drugs while during that sport's season they should not be able to participate until they receive a clean result. There are students that had been cut from playing on the team, that would give anything to play, while other athletes are abusing their privilege of being a part of the team by using drugs. A survey was conducted by Partnership for Drug-Free kids and it stated, that in 2014, the use of synthetic growth hormone amid high school athletes had doubled over the past year has went from a low of five percent to 11 percent
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(Pannoni).

This is giving other students an unfair advantage and ruining the experience of a solid team for others. High school sports should be played by athletes that want to be there and will not mess around because the school does not have to let you play sports.
Second of all, mandatory drug testing should be performed in order to keep athletes clean. Drugs can become addicting once a person uses them more than one time. Studies have shown that kids who begin using drugs drugs in their teenage years have a better chance of using them as adults. By identifying those students at an early age, school officials may be able to figure out a way to get them the help that they need. Urinalysis tests for recreational drugs cost between ten and fifty dollars (Popke). Officials can also write grants in order to help with funding (Popke). The typical drug test tests for marijuana, amphetamines, opioids, cocaine and PCP (Pilon). If you test positive, many school districts that do the drug testing have programs that will help you get clean. In order to keep parents and school officials from worrying about their child's health, mandatory drug tests should be performed in order to keep students

drug-free.
Lastly, while under the influence of drugs, while playing a competitive sport, the user can be put at a serious risk of injury.

One thing that can affect the user's health is depressant drugs, such as cannabis, alcohol and opiates, can slow down your breathing (Drugs and Sports). The drugs reduce your lung capacity and narrow your airways (Drugs and Sports). Cocaine can increase the user’s heart rate and put their heart under stress and the person could suffer from a heart attack and an abnormal heart rhythm (Drugs and Sports). Cannabis reduces your motor activity so it is hard to coordinate your moves and the person becomes clumsy (Drugs and Sports). Also, cannabis and alcohol can affect your alertness and concentration, therefore,

you
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have a slower reaction time and the player can not stop themselves before something dangerous could happen (Drugs and Sports). Alcohol can also cause a mild anesthesia or loss of feeling (Drugs and Sports). If a player gets hurt then they may not feel it and play on, resulting in more damage. For the safety of the athletes, school districts should perform random drug tests on all competitive sports teams.
The number of athletes using drugs has skyrocketed over the last year, therefore, the United States should conduct random drug tests on student athletes. Sports are a privilege and players should not abuse it by using drugs. Also, by drug testing you can help athletes by getting clean and getting them the hell that they need. Lastly, an athlete can put themselves at a serious risk of injury while playing under the influence. School districts should protect their athletes from harmful drugs and keep them safe.