KHYN JOAN E.

ALFILER
BSIE-1

MANDATORY DRUG TESTING FOR ALL SCHOOL

Drug abuse is an endemic problem in our society and its prime victims are the drugs users.
Regardless of the government’s continuous anti-drug campaigns, illegal use of drugs remains a serious
problem and continuously increasing. Drug abuse does not only affects drug users but it affects all of us
especially children, teenagers or students due to their curiosity, vulnerability, to peer pressure and many
more factors. One of the many ways of the anti-drug campaign is drug testing. Drug testing is a process
that determines whether there are illegal drugs present in the body. The sample from a person’s urine,
saliva, blood, sweat and hair are being tested. Marijuana, heroin, cocaine, steroids, opioids,
amphetamines, barbiturates and phencyclidine are the most common drugs that can be seen in a drug
test. It is usually done for employment, sports organization or any related sports events, for legal and
forensic purposes and for some medical related purposes.

Due to continuous increase of illegal drugs usage and its influence on children and teenagers,
especially students, drug testing for all schools has been a hot topic for a debate in the society. Some
points says that it should be made mandatory and some opposes this idea. Drug testing should not be
made mandatory for all schools as it will greatly affect only students privacy and focus on studying. It
has also high social and economic cost and forcing things or making it mandatory is somewhat not a
good policy as it will only disaffect people especially students that may push them to resent.

Some government officials wants to make drug testing mandatory for all school as a way of
promoting their anti-drug campaign and to prevent further spread of illegal drugs among teenagers and
students, since they are the subject of this action. In addition, it is said to promote drug free
environment among schools. However, schools have and should have the right to decide on this matter
since they are the one involve in it and they have responsibilities among their students and their
environment. Mandatory drug testing for all school will greatly affect not only the school but most
especially its students. Since drug testing will be made mandatory, it will force every students to
undergo the process and forcing students to submit into something is considered as a violation of their
constitutional rights against self-incrimination.

Privacy of every students is also one of the major argument againts mandatory drug testing.
Even though there are many ways to conduct a drug test, the most common and easier way is to get a
sample from students like urine, blood, hair, saliva and sweat which includes in their personal hygiene
and privacy. According to various Physicians, those who are involve have nothing to fear on this matter
because the result of the drug test will be confidential. It will only be kept between the students and
the staff or doctors that conducted the process. However, it is still considered as invasive and
intrusive as it invades student’s self-privacy which is something that they feared of. In addition, there
are other methods of deterrence or other ways of preventing students and teenagers to engage in
illegal drugs that are less invasive. Teachers may encourage them to participate more on extra-
curricular activities, parents may develop a better parental relationship and guidance, and they may
conduct drug education and awareness program and may more.
 According to the government, the main purpose of drug testing is not to catch those who are
involved in illegal drugs but to prevent students from using it. But it was contrary to the analyzation of
some institutions which states that mandatory drug testing can foster and encourage more
rebellious acts among students that may lead them to a dangerous and destructive path. To avoid
getting detected, students who uses drugs may only turn into a designer drugs or the drugs that are
difficult to detect and use a masking agents, which is more dangerous. Another thing is that it is
counterproductive, since there are many things needed to conduct the process it will be costly. The
governments will have to provide enough or more financial support on this, wherein they can actually
use the money on more productive ways like building rehabilitations and sending help to the victims.

Lastly, there is no conclusive or concrete evidence that shows the success of mandatory drug
testing in schools and does not have enough systematic studies that examines the effectiveness of
drug testing.
In conclusion, drug testing should not be made mandatory for all school as it will violate not only
student’s privacy but also their legal rights against self-incrimination. It will also be counterproductive
and may lead students to other destructive things and there is no conclusive evidence showing that
mandatory drug testing is successful to prevent students from engaging into illegal drugs. Instead
implementing mandatory drug test for all schools, the governments should give more focus on the roots
of this endemic drug problem. They should spend their resources in a more productive ways, such as
building rehabilitations and other things that will help the victims of drugs abuse which is the drug users.