Poll Results: Should Schools Drug Test Students?
Last week we asked you whether or not schools should drug test students. We asked you this poll question because the Smithville School District Board of Education is considering a new drug screening policy for their students.
This policy would impact students involved in school activities and sports, as well as those students who drive to school. Any student involved in activities, sports, or who drives to school whose random drug test came back non-negative, or positive, would be unable to participate in activities, sports or drive to school for 15 days. Of course, their parents would also be notified of the positive drug test.
The school district tabled a vote on the issue last week to gather more research and feedback. Smithville High School Principal Tracy Platt told KSHB-TV she had some reservations about the program, because as positive testers sat out participating in their sport, activity, or even driving to school other students would know that student received a positive test.
Not being a parent makes this issue a little difficult for me to speak on. As a non parent I'm all for testing student athletes. They participate in sports, and should want to perform at peak levels, and drugs don't let you do that. (Or let you do that with significant health consequences later in life.) Other activities, or just because you drive to school, seems like a weak way to suss out kids who may be experimenting with drugs, or have a drug problem. That said if I were a parent, I might feel differently about the issue.
So I asked you what your opinion is. Should schools drug test students? Our poll results show that YES. Schools should drug test students. 67% of respondents to this question indicated they were in favor of drug testing students. With 33% of respondents saying schools shouldn't drug test students.
It's gotta be tough to raise a kid in the twenty first century. I remember my mom occasionally cleaning my room... And yeah, there was some snooping going on looking for things that might be frowned upon by my parents. She didn't make it obvious like some moms might, but it still bugged teenage me. As an adult I'm thankful that she did.
I suspect many parents, and in the long run, their kids might appreciate a policy like this. Just don't expect your sixteen year old to come around to that way for thinking for another twenty five years.