Yes, Schools Should Have Drug Screenings. Free Essay at SpeedyPaper

When students go to college, they are happy to be away from their parents whom they think curtails their freedom. They are keen to fit in, become overjoyed and prove themselves with the new freedom. The freedom for the students is not bad, but most of the students have misused this freedom. While they are in school, they usually engage in illegal activities and frequently abuse the drugs. Illicit use of narcotics has been gradually rising among the high school and college students. The research that was conducted to evaluate the extend of drug use among the high school and college students reveal that 69% of the high school and college students misuse the drugs citing varied reasons for the abuse of narcotics (Hibell 22). Research also indicates that there is an annual increase in the rise of drugs abuse among the students. The majority of the students use marijuana, alcohol, and other illegal drugs. However, daily use of bhang is now on the highest rise among both the college and high school students. The misuse of drugs among the students have devastating impacts which range from the health, economic, psychological and even the sociological effects. It is thus, important to screen the students to curb the drug abuse among the students. Therefore, schools should have drug screenings.

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The move by President George W. Bush of proposing $ 23 million budgetary increase for the testing of the student's engagement in drugs abuse in public schools is a significant move. It is important because it takes into consideration the principles used by the No Child Left Behind Initiative. The testing of student's involvement in drug abuse is important because it results in positive consequences. One of the importance of the drug testing among the students is a reduction in health problems. Drugs abuse is associated with poor health among the users. Drug users regularly suffer from diseases such as cancer and liver cirrhosis (Roche 13). When an individual abuses the drugs such as tobacco, he or she risks suffering from the cancer of the lungs. Therefore, investing in drug screening in all the public schools will reduce these consequences. When students are screened for drug use, testing will be in a position to determine the level of drug use before they get into worst levels. They can thus be appropriately advised.

It is also important for the schools to develop and adopt a drug-testing policy for the students that are enrolled in extracurricular activities. The testing is significant because it reveals the students who have use drugs and thus they might not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities (Hibell 34). Even though some people think that drug testing among the students might be an infringement of their rights, their arguments are baseless since drug testing will significantly ensure that students who participate in extracurricular activities reasonably participate in such activities.

Ideally, most of the schools have drug-related problems. For example, many students have been caught smoking weed within their schools and even when they are out for academic tours or games (Roche 44). Some of them have been found smoking weed and cigarettes in the cars just before the match starts. They have a notion that when they smoke, they will have extra efforts and can easily beat their opponents. It is thus important for the schools to conduct a drug screen among the students to unearth these vices.

Conclusively, drug testing among the students is necessary and should be encouraged in all the schools. Drug testing provides the opportunity to test the level of the drug use among the students and thus they can easily be advised on the consequences of such drug use. When students who participate in sports and games are screened for drug abuse, it ensures that all the students participate in such extracurricular activities fairly. Therefore, all the schools should have drug screenings.

Works Cited

Hibell, Bjorn. The 1995 Espad Report: Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Students in USA. Stockholm: Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs, CAN, 2007. Print.

Roche, Ann M. Drug Testing in Schools: Evidence, Impacts and Alternatives. Canberra: Australian National Council on Drugs, 2008. Print.