Metal Detectors, Random Drug Testing and Police on School Campuses

As a result of drugs, guns, and sexual assaults that we have all heard about in public schools through the country, 60% of Public High Schools are using surveillance cameras, drug -sniffing dogs and many are conducting random locker checks.

Along with drug issues, recent school shootings, and gang violence, schools around the country have taken additional safety measures, which all can be controversial in nature. Let's explore some of them.

Random Drug Testing - Interestingly although 70% parents think that random drug testing is a good thing, there is that 30% that have openly and aggressively opposed it. The debate hasn't stopped with local PTA meetings either, in fact in went as high as the U.S. Supreme Court. Basically the Supreme Court found that the High Schools have a right to try to stomp out a " drug culture". Throughout the country about 1000 school districts are conducting random drug testing, with almost half of them receiving $34 million in federal aid, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Those that approve say that drug use is still high among teenagers, peer pressure, popularity issues, contribute to a majority of students experimenting with drugs on a daily basis. The students are allowed to opt out, and because schools are prohibited form reporting positive test results to police, the results are used only to assist the student in getting help. Those that oppose the random drug testing argue that the money spent on drug testing can be put to better use, such as putting it toward drug abuse counseling and other activities to occupy a kids time. They also point out that often drug testing not only is humiliating but can show false positive or false negative results. There is no cut and dry right answer to this issue, if kids choose to experiment or use drugs they will have consequences later on. For now, drug testing is not harmful to anyone.