Constant Opinions

A lot of schools test students for drugs these days. So do some parents, as drug tests are quite easily available. But it may not be that good an idea.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has found, however, that testing has not been shown to have an  impact on drug use.  They also feel it may generate a feeling of mistrust.

There are two basic problems. The first is that it is easy to get a false positive from eating poppy seeds or from taking certain cold medications. The second is that many drug users know how to defeat the basic tests. There are instructions freely available online.

There is also concern that in order to avoid the tests’ ability to catch certain drugs, more dangerous drugs may be taken that do not show on the test instead.

Of course, catching a child using cough syrups inappropriately is a problem. Some do use those to get high, and so catching these on a drug test might not be so false a positive after all.

From my perspective, school testing is of mixed purpose. I believe most schools only test students who participate in sports or other extracurricular activities, not the entire student body. While I can see where some could interpret that as an assumption that all kids are at risk for doing drugs, thus the potential for mistrust, it’s not so common as I understand it for schools to test because they think a particular student has a problem.

My kids are young yet, so I could be wrong about that.

On the other hand, if a parent chooses to make their child take a drug test, it is all but certain that they suspect a problem. When else would a parent choose to do so?

To me, so long as schools do it as a matter of routine, students need to treat it as just a routine. Some won’t, of course. Many teens will resent things just because that’s how they’re seeing the world at that time in their life. Of course, those taking the drugs may well see it as a lack of trust just due to their perpective on things at the time. And if the tests catch them and help them get help, that would be a good thing, resentment or mistrust or no.

Drug testing by schools is something that needs to be approached with consistency. It cannot be a symbol of trust or mistrust. It would really help matters if more substances could be accurately tested for, so that substances such as Ecstasy could be screened for.

And then there needs to be appropriate care for those who test positive. Not just “you’re off the team,” but something to help the students get off the drugs.

Technorati Tags: drug testing, AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics, student drug use

Filed under: Controversial, Education