Drug testing of Athletes

[WburgLP34]

This question has come up so much during the past couple years but nobody really seems to answer it. Why does athletes have to be singled out and get drug tested? I know at my school there are plenty of students that do not play sports and drugs are the reason. For once I would like to see other students and even teachers get tested and leave the athletes that dedicate themselves to their sport alone.

[P_E_P_84]

athletes lead by example

[Sports999]

I know some schools test anybody that does anything "extra" at the school. This includes sports, plays, clubs, and even if they drive to school, or basically anything that can be done at the school, they feel it is a privledge to drive to school so they make the students be tested at random for any illegal drugs. This is the best way to do it if you're going to do it. It basically gets everybody tested except about 20-25 students, and we all know those students will end up doing nothing with their lives anyway.

[DAD]

I feel that any one who has nothing to hide should have no problem being tested. Random testing should be done on all students, and teachers, staff and administration should lead the way and also be tested - of course PSEA and the NEA would never stand for it. But testing is expensive and districts would need to find some way to pay for it.

I think the primary focus right now is to try and catch those using performance enhancing drugs. Anyone who thinks they don't exist, even in this area, is kidding themselves. Any other illegal drugs would be a bonus.

In my previous life I was tested regularily and was happy to do it if it meant busting some bad apples.

[CPA]

If I was a teacher, I wouldn't want drug tested. What if I get a false positive? My teaching career is over.

[POTFA Wannabe]

Testing teachers wouldnt be smart, you may lose some excellent staff members who just dont agree with it. Its not that they have something to hide, some people just dont see it as constitutional.

Students on the other hand should be drug tested for any extra activity that they can be tested for. Driving to school im not so sure about , since a lot of students at bedford dont park on school grounds, but as for the students who do, Sure why not.

I know from previous experience that Class officers are a must for being tested! We had a class officer one year that wasn't exactly pot-free, and she ended up being kicked outta school for the end of the year. What does this say about our class when our class president (she was president somehow) does stuff like this. Besides, i dont want someone who can't make decent decisions in their life making decisions concerning my class.

[P_E_P_84]

why shouldn't teachers be tested if students get tested? they have the same rights being in a learning enviroment. do you want a pot head teaching your kids?

[Bedrock]

If all students get tested I think all teachers should be tested. If athletes get tested, coaches should be tested.
I think Jr. High football coaches should be the precedent. The head jr. high coaches at CR and Bedford are both a bit loopy.

[Sto]

Both Bedrock and PEP 84 make good points, if one group should be tested everyone should be tested. I know there were a few teachers at my school I wondered about, but I'm sure they were just insane, not hopped up on crack-cocaine.

[Roadie]

It would almost seem logical that if schools and teams start to have a major drug issue, then testing may result. I have no objections to the testing, as long as it's everyone, like everyone in here has posted. Make them random and don't have a schedule when they're going to be would be the best bet to catch anyone that has used and abused.
Referring to cost...you would think something like that would be funded by the government, I'm not sure how that would work??