President Bush's 2006 budget earmarked 25.4 million dollars for increased drug testing of public school students. Proponents claim that drug testing reduces illegal drug use among students and gives students an alibi for not using. Opponents claim that drug testing is ineffective at best and possibly even harmful. Testing can foster distrust, push students toward drugs that aren't screened for, and inhibit student participation in extracurricular activities. This volume provides a compilation of articles and essays that take opposing viewpoints on the issues of teen drug testing. Essay sources include the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Detection Report, Amitava Dasgupta, and Robert L. DuPont.

"The efficacy of drug detection and screening programs in schools, and their alternatives."--Provided by publisher.

Presents arguments on both sides of the controversial question of whether schools should test students for drug use, and provides a history of drug testing.

President Bush's 2006 budget earmarked 25.4 million dollars for increased drug testing of public school students. Proponents claim that drug testing reduces illegal drug use among students and gives students an alibi for not using. Opponents claim that drug testing is ineffective at best and possibly even harmful. Testing can foster distrust, push students toward drugs that aren't screened for, and inhibit student participation in extracurricular activities. This volume provides a compilation of articles and essays that take opposing viewpoints on the issues of teen drug testing. Essay sources include the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Detection Report, Amitava Dasgupta, and Robert L. DuPont.

The Vernonia School District v. Acton Supreme Court decision in 1995, forever changed the landscape of the legality of drug testing in schools. This decision stated that students who were involved in athletic programs could be drug tested as long as the student's privacy was not invaded. According to some in the medical profession, there are two purposes for drug tests: (1) to diagnose substance abuse and addiction; and (2) to help in the treatment for those recovering from abuse. In George W. Bush's 2004 State of the Union address, he proposed a 23 million dollar allocation in school funding to support drug-testing policies. In 2003, there was an 8 million dollar allowance for the same program. Overall, 5% of public schools drug test athletes and 3% drug test students who participate in extracurricular activities. Conclusions of major studies about drug testing include: (1) Drug use has gone down significantly since the 1980s, however, the use of alcohol and tobacco are at high levels; (2) The cost of drug testing is expensive and false positives are commonplace; (3) Students who are connected and involved in their schools have a lower incidence of drug use than those who are not; and (4) Investing in education programs, counseling, and other programs that will support connecting relationships were strongly recommended throughout the literature. (Contains 21 online resources.).