Read about drug testing in extracurricular activities.

The drug testing policy requires the students willing to participate in extracurricular activities to take a drug test. There is a consent form that is to be read, signed and dated by their parent or custodial guardian, coach or they themselves. The students are expected to agree to provide a urine specimen in several situations. The student must submit to and pass a drug screening test to participate in a sports activity. Drug testing in extracurricular activities is mandatory. The students can also be subjected to a random screening upon reasonable suspicion by the school officials or coach. The suit does not object on students being tested on random basis.

The drug testing policy for students was initiated in 1988 after the two isolated incidents involving the use of drugs at Tecumseh’s middle school. The parents forced the board to take some actions to combat the use of drugs in schools by the teenagers. The students participating in extracurricular activities were found using drugs and alcohol in large numbers. The Supreme Court justified the practice considering the fact that the athletics involved in illegal drug abuse. Moreover they are at a higher risk of injury while performing under the influence of drugs. However, not all the drug tests are accurate. The tests results get altered easily due to false positives like in case of drug test inhaled marijuana. The drug testing labs needs to be more stringent about the testing procedure to eliminate the risk of registering fake results.

According to the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, people have the right to “be secure in their persons against unreasonable searches and seizures”. Thus many people feel that it is invasion to their privacy and unreasonable to search them for drug use without any reason. Many believe that the drug testing policy violates their rights guaranteed in the fourth amendment. Several students with excellent grades are denied admission to competitive universities if they do not have a wide variety of extracurricular activities. Thus, they too are required to face a drug testing protocol and pass the test!