Teen drug
use has long been a concern for both parents and school administrators alike.
Recent studies have shown that the usual drugs are still around, while new
drugs are making a debut with teenagers. The landscape of drug use among
students is changing, with new trends emerging.
State of Teenage Drug Abuse
Illicit drug
use remains high amongst students in grades 8-12 both in terms of the total
percentage of students using drugs and also the frequency of drug usage.
On the
positive side, the use of inhalants is down, which is likely due to stricter
regulations on purchasing items like canned air. Ecstasy and cocaine use are
also dropping off significantly. And most surprisingly, alcohol consumption is
at an all-time low among students.
However, the
main drug of choice among teenagers is marijuana; mainly because it’s viewed as
less risky than other drugs. There is a strong inverse correlation between
perception of risk and drug use, which is to say that as perception of risk
decreases, use increases. With the recent legalization of marijuana in certain
states for medicinal purposes, marijuana is being viewed as less dangerous than
ever before in the public eye, which is likely contributing to its continued
rise in popularity. In fact, recent figures show that more teens smoke
marijuana than cigarettes now. More recently synthetic marijuana like Spice and
K2 have also become popular. These synthetics have come onto the drug scene in
a big way, with approximately 10% of students in grades 8-12 reporting that
they have used them in the past year.
The use of
prescription medications remains substantial as well; the most common of which
are Adderall and Vicodin. Sources for these drugs include friends and family
members who have had the drugs prescribed for medical conditions. Sometimes
these drugs are sold or traded, and often times they are stolen from household
medicine cabinets as well.
With the
high rate of teenagers experimenting with and becoming addicted to drugs, many
people have made the case for random drug testing in schools. But current
legislation is always a concern when discussing controversial issues like drug
testing. So what does the law say about drug testing in school?
Laws around Drug Testing in Schools
The
justification behind drug testing in schools for athletes and students doing
extracurricular activities is that those students are representing the school
publically so drug use can cause them to reflect poorly on the school and open
the school up to liability. Additionally, drug use increases the risk
associated with transporting them, monitoring them, allowing them to compete,
etc. There aren’t many people opposed to this use for drug testing, because
it’s very easy to see what teenage drug abuse can cost a school. The debate
begins when you discuss the issue of testing the rest of the student body.
Students and parents alike sometimes argue that drug testing is an invasion of
privacy. However, U.S. Supreme Court rulings have declared that drug testing at
public Junior High and High Schools does not violate students’ Fourth Amendment
rights and is legal in the following cases:
- Student athletes can be subjected to mandatory drug tests without any suspicion of drug use
- Students participating in school-sponsored extracurricular activities (theater, debate, music, robotics, etc.) can be randomly drug tested without any suspicion of drug use
- Any student has to submit to drug testing if the school has a reasonable suspicion that of drug usage
Regardless
of what rights schools have when it comes to drug testing students, parents
still have ultimate authority. If parents want to prevent teens from
experimenting with drugs the best way is simply to sit down with them and have
a conversation about the dangers of drug use. Teens whose parents talk to them
about drugs are less likely to try them, but most parents don’t have that
conversation. Before your teen finds him/herself in a situation where they are
presented with drugs, have the talk with them and encourage them to make the
right decisions!
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