Drug Screening – Is it Necessary?
Drug screenings are used by sports teams, work places, probation offices, rehabilitation programs, parents, police departments, schools, and many other programs. Drug testing is a great too that has been invented for institutions and companies as a method of detection to discover people that have drug problems. This methodology helps prevent a lot of deaths and tragedies in today's world that have been attributed to drug and alcohol abuse It is a prudent and cost effective tool for employers to determine what type of person they are hiring.
Drug screenings work out wonderfully for rehabilitation centers. It enables the center to see if patients are truly drug free and trying to get their problem under control. In some cases parents may become suspicious of their own children relative to that child possibly using drugs. Drug screenings help parents alleviate their concerns and fears and inform the parents of the truth.
In the long run this detection will help the family out immensely. The invention of drug testing was definitely a gain for institutions and for private citizens. While I believe this testing approach is a gain for our society for the reasons I have stated above I believe that it should be person's choice whether or not to take a drug test.
If a company or sports team requires an applicant to take a drug test in order to join the team or get a job, the applicant must take the drug test if the candidate chooses to join the team or the company. Drug testing is perfectly legal as it is stated under the 4th amendment. This is appropriate because the person has the choice of taking a drug test and the corporation or institution can require random drug testing while the individual is on the team, in the school or an employee of the company. If the person does not agree with taking the drug test the person will not be hired by that company or allowed to "try out" for that team. Thus drug testing is a requirement that these organizations put forth as a condition of employment or to become a member of that organization and the person usually understands that concept. Whether the person agrees or disagrees with the requirement doesn't matter, there are no exceptions to the rules.
For example to become a teacher an applicant must have a four year degree as a requirement for the job. If a person was to say know I don't think four years of college is really necessary to become a teacher the board of education would say we don't care you have to four years of college to work here. There is nothing a person can do about it so if an applicant does want to take a drug test to get a job or join a team they don't get job or get on the team. I totally agree with making it a requirement and there is not one law against that requirement.
Having an employee or player under the influence of drugs is a dangerous situation. Drugs have a negative physical and emotional affects on human behavior. For example, marijuana is proven to disable a person's motor coordination; if person smokes marijuana then operates a crane the operator could really get hurt. Research on the effects of marijuana reports the following: "Short-term effects of marijuana include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, and touch), trouble with thinking and problem solving, and loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety." Thus, in my opinion, the sports teams and companies have plenty of solid reasons to test for drugs in order to certify their employees or athletes are ready and able to correctly perform their expected tasks to the best of their ability.
There are plenty of organizations where people are forced to take drug test or agree to random drug tests. I am specifically referring to rehabilitation centers, probation programs and jails. People that are in admitted into these programs are generally not there on their own accord, because they have a drug or alcohol problem or have been in trouble with the law. I believe it is perfectly acceptable for these programs to randomly drug screen patients or prisoners. This drug testing is a way to monitor progress in a rehabilitation program or measure if it is successful and in the case of probation or prison, drug testing is necessary to see if the person is clean and making the right choices.
I have a problem with the schools randomly drug testing students. Schools drug test their students if they just suspect anything. I understand if a school official would discover drug paraphernalia or actual drugs on the student's person as a causal event for them to drug test the student. However, in absence of a reason, just having suspicion that the student is on drugs I think is ridiculous and unconstitutional.
Recently I spoke with one of the Vice Principals of my school, Dr. Deborah Kuzma; she stated 'the school can drug test students for any hint of drugs being in a student's system". So if one student decides to start a rumor about another classmate that the classmate is taking drugs, the reported student will be taken out of his class and drug tested. This is just one example of why the 4th amendment is wrong and that the school should legally be obligated to find a substance or have solid evidence that the student is taking drugs. Also an actual police officer should administer a sobriety test instead of a school nurse making an assessment as the nurse doesn't interact with a drug user often. That's just one small thing the school can do to have a more accurate evaluation of the student. I am not saying I don't believe in school drug testing however the administration should have more regulations, documented casual criteria for testing and investigation before the school randomly drug tests a student.
John is an expert on many subjects and writes as a hobby in his spare time