drug testing in schools

[dashiz94]

At my school they implemented a security system that I had no problem with because I could trust the administration at my school. (The people in the admin. are genuinely kind people.) This drug test idea is fine in theory, and I have no problem with it because I think smoking weed is the fucking dumbest idea ever, but the schools will probably take it way out of hand.

 

[Albert Wesker]

Any thing that stops the hippies from getting high I'm happy with.

 

[CrafterMan]

That is a shit idea.

Wow, I've never heard of anything like that in New Zealand, I feel sorry for you mate!

-Joe

 

[Marcus Attell]

Shoot, in an age where you have Metal Detectors at the entrance to schools, School nurses who would willingly prescribe Ridillin to children, and Strip searching honor students for "Ibuprofen", I think that Drug testing in schools is a little, um, Lame(?) as far as school policies go.

Ok, I have to ask- ibuprofen? I take that for migraines, I wasn't aware that it was dodgy in any way. In fact the reason I take it is because I was having to take codeine so often I was worried i might accidentally develop an addiction. Why in god's name where they searching for ibuprofen?

Back on topic, I have to wonder what they'll actually achieve with this policy, and I think that what effects it has is a more important factor than whether it's morally or legally justified. I've never touched drugs (alcohol excluded naturally), but I can't see what kicking me out of the debate club would have achieved if I had just experimented once or twice.

Extra curricular activities aren't just privileges, they're opportunities for further learning and character building. Are excluding students from them really going to make them less likely to do drugs?

And how will these tests discriminate between good students that just got curious, and habitual users that really are a problem?

ON the other hand, I kinda support the parking permit aspect of it. The car park at my school was pretty hectic, kids all over the place, and some people refuse to accept that drugs affect your ability to drive, just because they can't perceive the effects themselves. It's an extreme measure, but it potentially saves lives.

Yeah, the Ibuprofen strip search and the subsequent lawsuit was apparently taken all of the way to the Supreme Court. The stupid thing was, the student didn't even have the "drug" on her, the school staff conducted the search on the word of another student.

 

[randommaster]

Well, if you're only toking up "once or twice during the summer," you really shouldn't be worried about failing a drug test.

Seems kind of extreme for the school to do this for all extracuricular activities.

Just don't test positive for super diabetes. [http://roosterteeth.com/archive/?id=736]

Gotta love Rooster Teeth.

This is actually a good scheme. I just wouldn't make it mandatory. If somebody touches drugs once, there is no reason to make there whole education suffer because of it.

Drug testing should really only be necessary for certain things, because I doubt that all clubs are really worried that one of their members is doing drugs. If you test every single kid it's a waste of time. What I would suggest is to give the clubs the ABILITY to test for drugs at any time, so that time and money aren't wasted. That way, the clubs that need to test can test, while the others can go about without.

 

[Slayer_2]

By the way if you don't care what happens to your body's byproducts after you're done, may I have them? (joking of course) I could use your byproducts to set you up for all sorts of crimes if so desired. Just because you're done with it doesn't mean that it isn't a violation of your privacy to analyze it.

I usually don't put things that I care about in the toilet... except my 9mm The only crime you could set up with my urine is public urination. Although I doubt anyone would be able to find out who the urine belonged to. I don't care if people want to look at my urine, as stated previously, I'm clean, so no problem here.

 

[shaltir]

alot of people seem to think that i still go to this school, so i'm gonna go ahead and say that i've been out since 2000. i was just curious to see if anyone else knew of school systems that were doing student drug testing and how it was working.

i'm gonna toss a few theories in the mix that i haven't seen come up (could have though, i didn't do much more than skim over the thread) poppy seed muffins or bread has been shown to affect the tests. i don't know the type of test that will be used for the testing, but if it one of the ones that could show a false positive during these conditions then there may be a problem.

also, a friend of mine just went to amsterdam with his son. since his son is 18 he let him take part in all the little joys amsterdam has to offer. would the "it was legal when i did it" defense work?

 

[Zosephine]

And what about prescription drugs? I know someone who is prescribed a shitton of morphine. If they found that in her system without checking why she'd be done for.

There seems to be a frenzy of anti-drug policies in public schools (American schools to my knowledge). From my own high school experience, kids WILL find a way around whatever rules there are and they will break the rules regardless of the administration (also, my school had a shitty admin. team). The OP's school's new fancy drug tests are not going to work.

They should spend money on education, not witch hunts.

 

[LaBambaMan]

Look I'm sorry I didn't mean to type the didn't you have any fun part, kinda was a little peveed when I said it, its just in that message its seemed as if you were looking down on people for not being a good two shoes, and it kinda reminded me of that student, didn't mean to offend.

Don't worry about it, I could have worded my posts a little bit better. It's all good.

But just to have a little fun I fixed your grammar errors haha

 

[bluepilot]

If someone is found in your school to be taking drugs, surely it would be more sensible to ENOURAGE them to join extra curricular activities so they have things to do other than school work and getting high.

 

[the protaginist]

I'm cool with it, i know for a fact if they drug tested the football team, we wouldn't have one.

 

[Epitome]

Can they really search your lockers at will? I dont know do you just get assigned a locker at the start of year? Here we have a system where each student pays a small fee at the start of year (like ?10) to rent the locker for a year making it their private property, which means no faculty member may search a locker without a warrent? I had a problem where one day another student accused me of carrying a knife and i was brought to the principles office. He and the vice pres had to ask me if they could searh my locker please, i told them i had no problem with it but still it was my choice. If they have reasonable suspicion,like seeing you on camera with it at some point they can call the guards in to open your locker. With regard to searching randomly in lockers for drugs that would be sooo illegal, even using dogs would be and no evidence gathered would be addmissible

 

[SilentHunter7]

I don't see why it's a big deal. I managed to survive High School without lighting up. I don't see why anyone else can't. I never got this whole 'experimenting' thing. Personally, I'd rather not have my brain functions reduced to that of a zombie. I remember seeing one of my friend's roommates high on mushrooms, sitting in the corner, drooling, and having a conversation with the outlet. Yeah, that's just who I want to be. Nevermind that drugs are illegal. They're fucking stupid. The more deterrents against kids using them, the better.

[HEADING=2]HOWEVER[/HEADING]

I think excluding people who test positive from extracurricular activities is absolutely the worst way of going about things. You're just going to have a bunch of bored, drugged up kids with nothing to do after school. Schools should be ENCOURAGING kids who test positive to join extracurriculars, albeit, with a required DARE program to get them to clean up.

I'll tell you what; When I was in high-school, I had a perfect record. No vandalism, no substance abuse, no breaking curfew. You know why? Because I was on the football team, and every goddamn day, coach would run my ass into the ground until 8 o'clock at night. This was especially true before I got to the 1st line, and I was essentially the tackling dummy for the starters. As soon as I got home, I took a shower and passed out. Believe me, going out all night and causing trouble was the last thing on my mind.

That's wrong we live in a country with civil liberties. The government cannot search us without probable cause. This is one big step to having big brother telling us what to do.

This isn't directed at you in particular, but they should really amend Godwin's Law with a sub-section that says "As a debate goes on, the probability of a 1984 reference approaches 1."

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

Yikes.

 

[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.

To an Adult yeah but for children I would still have to stick to what I said originally,
Many students waste our tax dollars if you lose some rights so someone else has a better chance thats fine with me. Target failing kids with criminal histories it sucks that their people too. Caome up with a way to get rid of the people who waste many people time and money and I might see your point.

Drug laws are largely arbitrary; why are tobacco and alcohol legal but other drugs not? It's certainly not based on the 'harm' that they cause, in fact it's more to do with the flow of money and keeping production in the US. If all drugs were legalised and sold by the state the violent and criminal aspects would be significantly reduced moreover, the tax could go into drug education, rehabilitation and counselling services.

Concerning wasting money, criminalising young people, putting them through the legal system with possible custodial sentenceswith possible incarceration is going to cost many times the option of helping them. Not to mention the fact that their criminal record and possible expulsion from school would mean they are less able to get a decent job and be a contributing member of society, they would be more likely to re-offend and end up costing even more.

This is basically all a result of dealing with the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself. Focus on the imports and removing the crime behind drugs along with helping those with drug problems and it will not only be better for everyone but will save a lot of time and money in the long run.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

Can they really search your lockers at will? I dont know do you just get assigned a locker at the start of year? Here we have a system where each student pays a small fee at the start of year (like ?10) to rent the locker for a year making it their private property, which means no faculty member may search a locker without a warrent? I had a problem where one day another student accused me of carrying a knife and i was brought to the principles office. He and the vice pres had to ask me if they could searh my locker please, i told them i had no problem with it but still it was my choice. If they have reasonable suspicion,like seeing you on camera with it at some point they can call the guards in to open your locker. With regard to searching randomly in lockers for drugs that would be sooo illegal, even using dogs would be and no evidence gathered would be addmissible

No go here, public schools let you use the lockers for free and my school makes it against the rules to carry a bookbag to class. Public school: -7(9000)

That said, I am glad my school didn't do a drug test.. At pretty much any given time for five months or so you could have tested me and I would have been positive for ibuprofen and a shit-ton of isotretetion. (The ibuprofen was just so I could get through the day because of it)


EDIT: So this is where all the tax dollars go that schools get.

 

[Epitome]

Can they really search your lockers at will? I dont know do you just get assigned a locker at the start of year? Here we have a system where each student pays a small fee at the start of year (like ?10) to rent the locker for a year making it their private property, which means no faculty member may search a locker without a warrent? I had a problem where one day another student accused me of carrying a knife and i was brought to the principles office. He and the vice pres had to ask me if they could searh my locker please, i told them i had no problem with it but still it was my choice. If they have reasonable suspicion,like seeing you on camera with it at some point they can call the guards in to open your locker. With regard to searching randomly in lockers for drugs that would be sooo illegal, even using dogs would be and no evidence gathered would be addmissible

No go here, public schools let you use the lockers for free and my school makes it against the rules to carry a bookbag to class. Public school: -7(9000)

That said, I am glad my school didn't do a drug test.. At pretty much any given time for five months or so you could have tested me and I would have been positive for ibuprofen and a shit-ton of isotretetion. (The ibuprofen was just so I could get through the day because of it)


EDIT: So this is where all the tax dollars go that schools get.

You really cant just have ibouprofen in your system though? What do you do for hangovers?i think most of your states are 21 to drink but i dont imagine many pay attention? But you cant have some painkillers in tehmorning for a hangover without risking failing a federal mandated drugs test...? seems a liiitle extreme?

 

[Timotei]

My school does the random drug dog raids. I don't know it it is particularly surprising that 90% of all the people who get caught are freshman.