drug testing in schools

[ReZerO]

you know, i could support this if i didn't think they'd be stupid about it and kick the kid out of school or something.if somebody tests positive they should just make them come in on a weekend day sometime for a nice seminar on drugs.
at least that way the kids who are smoking pot will be fully educated on the dangers of harder drugs.

 

[SimuLord]

I love the idea. Furthermore, I hope they make a harsh example of the kids who test positive. The hardest thing for a parent to do (this according to friends I have who have kids, and some of these friends are Boomers with kids close to my age) is to trust that your kids won't fall victim to peer pressure or see that there are no consequences to the actions you try to teach them not to do. Good kids go wrong because discipline outside the home breaks down so easily.

Create a regime where there are real penalties for drugs, underage drinking, teen sex (apart from pregnancy, a penalty in itself), and various other teenage acts of rebellion and you invariably force teens to stop acting like spoiled children and start acting like the adults they so desperately want over-thirty folks like me to think of them as.

 

[LaBambaMan]

If I learned anything while in high school it's that the authority shouldn't trust high school kids. I mean, for the most part, they're idiots with egos the size of a planet.

my high school only suspected people who deserved suspicion, rather than hoisting it upon people who don't act suspicious in any way. there was no problem with this. why change it all of a sudden?

actually, we did have talk of sniffer dogs coming in one day, but I never saw them. maybe the head changed his mind.

in any case, the administration needs to at least put on a face of trusting the students. drug testing for people who are applying for things that don't really have much to do with drugs would make people angry, more likely to disbehave, and for what? some kid toking up?

despite the edgy "cynical" view that all high schoolers are idiotic rule-breakers that need to be kept in line by AUTHORITAH, they're really more intelligent than people realise (though they often misdirect their intelligence, or forget it occasionally). they know when they're being treated unfairly, and they would raise some kind of shit about it, even if it's just low-level disturbance.

as far as I can tell, this kind of drug testing results in more work, for results that really aren't worth the effort.

Ok, so maybe I was being a bit harsh. I was, however, speaking from my experiences of high school, which only ended 5 years ago. Maybe you've got a better school system then I had, but most high school students in my area were either vapid whores who couldn't keep their legs shut or moronic stoner kids who thought they were hardcore by breaking the law.

The more intelligent students in my graduating class(myself included) were trusted because we gave the staff a reason to trust us. Our girlfriends weren't pregnant, we showed up on time, we did our work, and we didn't reek of pot and ask stupid questions that are common knowledge. Then again, we also had a very large "gangsta" population who was, amazingly, comprised of my school's most dim witted students(like the one guy who asked what Pearl Harbor Day was).

So I apologize if I offend with my comments, because i'm basing my cynical attitude off my previous experience and the idiots I see around the local shopping mall. Then again, this is the suburbs of D.C., the home of the morons.

 

[Zersy]

Man, that's bullshit! If I want to be high while at school, I have all the right to!

Anyway, I think the idea is stupid, totally unnecessary and a waste of funding.

I love it when a thread is answered and closed within the first post

 

[beddo]

My old high school has recently decided to implement a drug testing policy for students wanting to participate in extracurricular activities and for the right to obtain a parking permit. i've not seen any other schools with this type of policy and would like to know if any of you are familiar with it and if it has been successful. i'm concerned that it will stop many people from participating in school and whether it will be used to kick otherwise good kids out of school for toking up once or twice during the summer. it is also worth noting that the parents of a student can request a drug test for their child and that kids can be tested if they are acting strangely, so it is affecting more than just student priviledges.

EDIT: one problem i see with this policy is the fact that this same school gave my prom date and i a beer mug and wine glass for our prom gifts. which we promptly took to a prom party and used the hell out of

You are well within your rights to refuse the tests. if they say that you are not permitted to participate because you wont give up your rights then you could look into suing them.

 

[DanielPowell33]

They started testing this past year at Early, TX (check google maps cuz yor probably never heard of us)for everyone who was in extracurricular activities or parked at school. Everyone started trying to make sure enough time had passed between when they used drugs/drank and the time of the "random" drug test, witch happened every few weeks. A few people tested postive but nothing really bad happend, they had like a 3 strikes thing. Our school tried a lot of other bullshit things for the first time this past year. Like putting tire claws on vehicles if the dident have a parking pass, witch lasted for about 2 weeks cuz they were shitty plastic and people just broke them. They also had "shattered dreams" thing to try to brainwash us into thinking drugs are bad. And the worst thing is that it was my senior year. Im just glad im done with it, school fuckin sucks.

 

[beddo]

Testing kids for drugs will hopefully keep the kids who don't wana learn away and they will stop wasting everyone at the schools time.

The ones who want to do drugs and learn well... It's ilegal prick so stop doin it, unless you wana be stupid.

Well everyone has the right not to self incriminate and not to be subject to medical checks if they so chose. To restrict school activities and privileges based on someone's refusal to give up their rights is unethical.

It also suggests a state of guilty until proven innocent. You must prove you are innocent before you can play and even if you pass you will have to do subsequent tests. It's disgusting.

 

[Amnestic]

Im just glad im done with it, school fuckin sucks.

Indeed it does. Apparently your school never taught you to write. Shame.

 

[nilus2k]

So? It's a stupid law anyway. Fuckin' Alcohol is worse than weed.

Still against the law and against school rules. And anyways if they did legalize it, it would still be illegal for Minors. So again there is nothing wrong with this. Want to play, don't do drugs. Seems simple. I am sure the world will survive when all the cancer causing pot heads drop out of school because they were discriminated against.

I'm not going to say kids shouldn't do drugs. Do whatever the hell you want, but don't cry foul when someone takes something away from you because you BROKE THE LAW. You knew what you were doing and you are paying for the crime. Personally I think they should report positive tests to the police as well.

 

[MusicalFreedom]

Ok, so maybe I was being a bit harsh. I was, however, speaking from my experiences of high school, which only ended 5 years ago. Maybe you've got a better school system then I had, but most high school students in my area were either vapid whores who couldn't keep their legs shut or moronic stoner kids who thought they were hardcore by breaking the law.

The more intelligent students in my graduating class(myself included) were trusted because we gave the staff a reason to trust us. Our girlfriends weren't pregnant, we showed up on time, we did our work, and we didn't reek of pot and ask stupid questions that are common knowledge. Then again, we also had a very large "gangsta" population who was, amazingly, comprised of my school's most dim witted students(like the one guy who asked what Pearl Harbor Day was).

So I apologize if I offend with my comments, because i'm basing my cynical attitude off my previous experience and the idiots I see around the local shopping mall. Then again, this is the suburbs of D.C., the home of the morons.

no offense taken at all

I just think it's funny, because even the smartest kids in my school weren't exactly perfect. one of the smartest guys I knew, he did excellently in exams and knew all the stuff, he also liked to sell cigarrettes to 14-year-olds. I wouldn't put it past about a quarter of the best people in my year having at least a little bit of experience with drugs.

I mean, there's still the less intelligent ones, like those guys who kicked the fucking ceiling down, how the hell did they do that, but they don't seem to get away with it.

even so, I would have been pissed if I was accused of doing drugs, mostly because I haven't, and I know people who perhaps aren't the brightest who feel the same way I do. it would certainly have made me, a (then) goody-goody-two-boots, respect authority less.

 

[MusicalFreedom]

Personally I think they should report positive tests to the police as well.

you would potentially fuck up a student's future because of drugs. is that what you're really saying? wouldn't counselling or whatever be better? because the way the police is at the moment, they would probably just chuck the kid in juvie for a bit, and an experience like that (however short) has the potential to make a criminal of someone who just does a few misdemeanours, which is unforgivable.

 

[nilus2k]

Let's see.
John came to school one day, facing a new policy, mandatory drug testing for playing on the football team.
But oh noes, last week John shared a joint with some friends at a party.
John decides to drop the football team, despite being the captain. Because after all, that is better than getting caught and being expelled from school.

See my point?

I see your point. John is a dumbass. John knows sharing a joint is illegal. John needs to learn about real life. If John smokes up at a party and then got randomly drug tested at work, John would lose his job and career and could be brought up on criminal charges. John is gonna learn a valuable lessons the hard way. Sucks to be John.

Kids, Don't be John. You want to go to school, have fun with your friends, play sports, go to dances, drive your car. Then don't smoke up. This seems simple enough to me.

I am not against smoking pot(if it were legal I would do it), but I am against minors doing it. Wait till you at least have a High School education before you start killing brain cells.

 

[iherduliekPie]

Personally I think they should report positive tests to the police as well.

you would potentially fuck up a student's future because of drugs. is that what you're really saying? wouldn't counselling or whatever be better? because the way the police is at the moment, they would probably just chuck the kid in juvie for a bit, and an experience like that (however short) has the potential to make a criminal of someone who just does a few misdemeanours, which is unforgivable.

In my opinion, three strikes to the salt(or any other mine) mines for the rest of their life.

 

[Seydaman]

(and we all know how kids stay away from stuff that is taboo)

im 13 and sex seems to be taboo, yet i stay veeery close, well maybe that is the exception

 

[beddo]

The problem is...?

It's asking young people to give up their constitutional rights to become involved in extra-curricular activities. It's setting a state of innocent-ish, you have to prove that you really are.

This is against the basic freedoms and rights given to the people by the constitution. If you want to talk about recreational drug use look at alcohol or prescription painkillers. The Government has inconsistent ideas about what is and isn't acceptable and given their behaviour have no ground to talk about morality and behaviour.

Note, I realise that this is a school initiative but medical testing etc still need to be conducted by medical staff who are licensed and has to be okayed by the local education authority; a part of government.

 

[JacobCO]

It's pissing in a cup. If you refuse to do it, then that implies guilt and gives them probable cause. If you agree, you're giving your consent.

No. You're wrong, straight-up wrong. The Supreme Court (you know, the old guys, in the robes) has decided MULTIPLE TIMES that refusal to give consent to search is NOT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM probable cause to search.
It's that simple. You have the goddamn right to say no.
Super-Trooper pulls you over and says he wants to search, you can say no. (In fact, I encourage you to! Just because you can. Even if you have "nothing to hide" refuse anyway, it's a big time sink and just kinda embarrassing anyway.)

In general, police don't ask out of courtesy, if they're asking for permission to search, it's because they don't have probable cause, just say no, they're options are really, really limited (Threaten, or Dogs. The former can get them in trouble if you bother to file a complaint, the latter, well, there aren't an abundance of K9 units floating around, and one might not be available, either way, they'll have to sit there and wait)

This is different from taking a drug test to apply for a job, a hiring company is a PRIVATE CORPORATION. The government isn't using Truancy officers to FORCE you to get a job.

My School never pulled any shit like this back when I was in it, if they had, I would have fought it, all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Not because I'm a "stoner", I've never so much as touched marijuana in my life.
Because they simply don't have the right to know, and the fact that they have the stones to demand it means they need their sacks kicked back in line. A crime may have been committed, but they do not have the right to find out that way.

They're literally saying "We decide what you can and cannot do with your body" and that doesn't fly with me. At all. And, quite frankly, I'm disgusted by the number of people who accept this without question, or, worse still, wish it was implemented at the HS their child attends so they don't have to put forward effort as a parent to keep their children from being stupid.

Guess it goes to show that "Lawful Stupid" Is a IRL alignment.

 

[Sovvolf]

If I learned anything while in high school it's that the authority shouldn't trust high school kids. I mean, for the most part, they're idiots with egos the size of a planet.

my high school only suspected people who deserved suspicion, rather than hoisting it upon people who don't act suspicious in any way. there was no problem with this. why change it all of a sudden?

actually, we did have talk of sniffer dogs coming in one day, but I never saw them. maybe the head changed his mind.

in any case, the administration needs to at least put on a face of trusting the students. drug testing for people who are applying for things that don't really have much to do with drugs would make people angry, more likely to disbehave, and for what? some kid toking up?

despite the edgy "cynical" view that all high schoolers are idiotic rule-breakers that need to be kept in line by AUTHORITAH, they're really more intelligent than people realise (though they often misdirect their intelligence, or forget it occasionally). they know when they're being treated unfairly, and they would raise some kind of shit about it, even if it's just low-level disturbance.

as far as I can tell, this kind of drug testing results in more work, for results that really aren't worth the effort.

Ok, so maybe I was being a bit harsh. I was, however, speaking from my experiences of high school, which only ended 5 years ago. Maybe you've got a better school system then I had, but most high school students in my area were either vapid whores who couldn't keep their legs shut or moronic stoner kids who thought they were hardcore by breaking the law.

The more intelligent students in my graduating class(myself included) were trusted because we gave the staff a reason to trust us. Our girlfriends weren't pregnant, we showed up on time, we did our work, and we didn't reek of pot and ask stupid questions that are common knowledge. Then again, we also had a very large "gangsta" population who was, amazingly, comprised of my school's most dim witted students(like the one guy who asked what Pearl Harbor Day was).

So I apologize if I offend with my comments, because i'm basing my cynical attitude off my previous experience and the idiots I see around the local shopping mall. Then again, this is the suburbs of D.C., the home of the morons.

Wow, did you have any fun at all at school?? its funny but you look down at people like these like people like you used to do to me at school, I was moved up in history in my school becuase I excelled beyond my class, I went from the bottom class right to the top becuase of this, and when I walked in this class a student like you commented on me, saying "I think you have the wrong class, this is for the intelligent students" to which I embarrased him in front of the class by asking him what to me was basic historical trivia that he couldnt answer such as who were forces fighting at the battle of theyomopoly (He stated Egyptions versus the romans), or the death of the year the version queen died (1603), who assinated Gias Julius Caesar and at what date, this student couldnt answer one of them and sat down.

Your probably not as arogant as that kid but it really gets to me when people look down on others for such things, if you had met me at school then you would have thought I'd have been as dim-witted as those gangsta's your talking about and if you read my handwriting or my spelling then you'd think worse, I never attended class becuase I was out being too cool for school having a fun time, but I wasnt stupid I was just foolish, just becuase people have a fun go out and have fun, misbehave and such doesnt mean there uninteligent.

 

[iTeamKill]

I like the idea!
I'd be ok with taking a drug test, and I'd totally permit them to test my kids, provided I had any that age.

pifft... All those drug tests are there for is another excuse to get money from the parents and state money to pay for it. Drug tests protect kids from NOTHING. Hell, I trust the dealer next door more then the College police.

Nearly everyone in my degree would fail a drug test. Which is why the school avoids them at all costs. They also avoid handing out underages as much as possible. Stats like that make the school look bad and I mean, Its college, fucking live a little!