Should Schools Conduct Drug Tests on Students?

Another Orlando private school has announced that they will conduct mandatory drug screening on students in the upcoming school year.

The number of schools now conducting drug tests is steadily rising in Orlando, and some schools across the country are also following suit.

Each student in these middle and high schools will be required to submit a hair sample to be tested for 18 different drugs, including marijuana, painkillers, heroin and cocaine. Random tests will also be conducted throughout the school year.

Parents will be notified if their child tests positive, and every student who fails a test will be required to enter treatment.

While many people support the new measures, others are leery. They question the necessity of drug testing in schools, and fear that the testing will infringe on students’ privacy.

As the policy stands now, any parent who does not want their child to be drug tested will be asked to remove their child from the school, and while some parents are contemplating this, most are willing to accept the policy.

Curbing Teen Drug Abuse

As many parents and school officials know, drug abuse is a big problem in many schools, and any way to keep it from getting worse is helpful.

Parents sometimes don’t realize their child has a drug problem until something like a failed drug test helps them see the problem.

The fact that the schools will require children to get treatment should provide even more parental support for the policy, since treatment is the best (and sometimes only) way to help students overcome an addiction.

Drug testing is just another way to provide help for students who need it. It will help students think twice about using drugs and when accompanied by a drug education problem, will be a tool schools can use to curb drug abuse among students. Our addiction treatment specialists are available for any questions you may have.