Drug Testing

[Sandbagger]

Im not against drug testing i for one would like to know. But to choose just athletes and certain groups i think is wrong. I think it should be the whole school plus teachers.My son was just tested. it came back great. I also know of many students who quit sports because of it and they are still in the school system. Plus i know of some teachers in the past who use.Thats just in our school, Im sure its all over the place. That is why everybody should be in the pool to be tested if you are around kids.

[southeastmeigs]

If it will save a kids life - now or in the future - absolutely!!! all the "tested person'" needs to do is tell the testor that they have a prescription for a certain med, of course they will have to prove it. But I also believe anyone involved in the school system should have random testing - ANYONE!

[KVDW]

Let the participants parents pay for it (like "pay to play").
I think that would work and be acceptable for a couple of reasons.

Most parents would welcome an "excuse" to get their kids tested regularly these days. Most parents don't want to suggest it for their kids on their own for fear of engendering mistrust in the kids and would welcome having someone else do it for them. If the kids tested clear it would be a big relief to the parents. If the kids refused to play sports because of the tests it would certainly send up a red flag for the parents to keep closer tabs on their childs friends and activities.

$15 a couple of times a year would certainly be far less expensive for the parents than paying for the drugs their kids are taking (or may get into taking down the road)..... and make no mistake, unless the kids are stealing, the parents ARE paying for the drugs whether they know it or not.

[newlex/sheridan]

I am a teacher and within the three districts that I have been associated there is no drug testing. Cost would be one problem. Schools can barely afford to operate right now, adding on any more cost is not going to happen. I believe that all teachers and coaches should be subject to pre-employment drug testing and random if there is any reason to believe they may be doing things they shouldn't be. I too have always wondered how people who spend 40 hours a week with our youth don't have to take a drug test. Maybe that would weed some of the competition out of the education profession.
I'm torn on how I feel about drug testing students. While you like to think the best and not the worst about our kids we all know that it does happen. Maybe once a year it should be done at the expense of the athlete. Student athletes are held to a higher standard, maybe this should be a part of it as well.

[Tartan Sauce]

awl crap

[4thgoal]

I wonder about the legality and effectiveness of drug sniffing dogs in the schools. Turn one of them bad boys loose in the halls and see how many lockers he passes before he comes to a screeching halt.

Interesting you mention this because it happened yesterday at Valley High School.
http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/vi ... eft_column

As a parent, I would not be against a school policy requiring the student-athlete to possibly be subject to a random drug test. $15-20 would not be too bad to pay as long as it was kept to a maximum of once per school year.

[FHSstudentsection]

Fairland has drug testing if you are in a sport , club,drive to school or any activity.but no teachers are tested?I think it is bs

[mister b]

Make the parents pay the fee, not the taxpayers.

Start testing when kids start school sports, 7th grade. This includes all kids who take part in any extra-curricular activity, e.g. sports, marching band, competition choirs, etc.

Also include 1 random drug test, also paid by the parent, anytime during the season. If you play football, basketball and track, then you would have 1 before the start of football season and other sometime during the remaining school year.

As a parent, I would want to have the peace of mind of a clear drug test.

[bash]

if there was drug testing then south webster wouldn't have won the state a few years back.aldridge was on it big time and was caught but nothing done.i agree that drug testing should be done at all schools.

[91blue14]

i dont see nothing wrong with testing all the above. maybe the ohsaa should mandate!

[The D]

Cost of testing 1000 X $15 = $15,000The life of a kid = priceless

coming from every school, probably 4ish times a year.....

like any of the schools will be willing to pay that...

let alone the state...

I have nothing against testing...but nobody will be willing to pay this, and it really should be up to the parents to ensure that their children don't start using, and if they already have to stop it...now if coaches decide to make it a team rule that every athelete takes a test, I can understand...but with all of the debt circulating right now, the last thing people in the state need is another state/school fund shoving us deeper in the red...

[Trojanbuckeye]

I have a problem with student athletes being the only ones drug tested. If you are going to do random tests, you do them for the entire student body. Not just the kids participating in after school sports.

They should drug test the debate team, show choir, and very other student in the school.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are major drug problems in the area, but I don't think randomly testing students is a valuable tool. If there is reason to belive a problem exists, then absolutely. Same with faculty and staff.

I have 2 high school students and if the behavior changed, then yes, but just because they participate in extracurricular, no

[ohbuckeye2]

It is so easy for us to come up with reasons why things can not be done and continue to ignor the problems. Would there be costs associated with drug testing, sure.

I pay more than my fair share of taxes, but I would be willing to pay an extra $15 dollars as would most tax payers in our county to try in someway to help these kids.

I here numbers like 75% of the kids in our school have either taken drugs or are taking drugs, that is 3 out of 4 kids...

I am sure that our bus drivers are tested. They have to follow DOT rules and regulations, so there must be some policy somewhere.

our employers require drug testing. (at least most of them, mine does).

I'm with you on that.

I spent over 20 years in the Military and I remember one time at the Shipyard in Pearl Harbor taking a Random Urine Test 3 days in a row, it didn't bother Me in the least. I'm all for Random Testing in the work force and for those receiving any type of benifits from the Government. If your not doing drugs you shouldn't be worried and if a kid is found to be doing drugs early enough there's alot better chance of helping the kids out. If one kid gets the help He or She needs to get away from drugs then it's worth it IMO.

[ohbuckeye2]

Let the participants parents pay for it (like "pay to play").
I think that would work and be acceptable for a couple of reasons.

Most parents would welcome an "excuse" to get their kids tested regularly these days. Most parents don't want to suggest it for their kids on their own for fear of engendering mistrust in the kids and would welcome having someone else do it for them. If the kids tested clear it would be a big relief to the parents. If the kids refused to play sports because of the tests it would certainly send up a red flag for the parents to keep closer tabs on their childs friends and activities.

$15 a couple of times a year would certainly be far less expensive for the parents than paying for the drugs their kids are taking (or may get into taking down the road)..... and make no mistake, unless the kids are stealing, the parents ARE paying for the drugs whether they know it or not.

Great Post..........

[Dean]

One more try. Let's just attach GPS units with videocams to the students so the schools will be responsible for the students 24-7. That way the parents will be absolved of all responsibility.

[footballfanatic1]

usually in the schools that have drug testing it the same person tested multiple times.....if you know what i mean...

[MttaFan]

Marietta began this school year and yes it has had a couple of bumps. It is only for extracurriculars, as those are privileges. There has been at least one false positive, and like every small town nothing is completely confidential.

I believe every athlete has to have a test at the beginning of the year and then there are random tests afterwards. I don't recall the cost but it seemed like $20 or so, paid by the athlete.

As a parent I'm torn between the privacy issue and the thought that it might keep a young person away from drugs, but leaning towards testing is a good thing. The best analogy told to me is that if we have to pay to get physicals that look for ailments that are rare amongst teens, why not test for a problem we know is out there.

[bballfool]

One more try. Let's just attach GPS units with videocams to the students so the schools will be responsible for the students 24-7. That way the parents will be absolved of all responsibility.

I don't think we are trying to absolve parents from their responsibility, But lets as Teachers, Coaches, Administrators, and Fans not forget our responsibility either.

It is a viloation of OHHSAA rules for players to use drugs, but we have no mechanism for finding out if a player is doing drugs, unless we simply catch him in the act.

[heyblu44]

The School District that I live in - Has ramdom testing for athletes during the season that they play in. If the test is positive the athlete is suspended for the rest of that season but it also meets that the athlete will be tested for each season that they participate in.