The cost of substance abuse in America’s school systems is great— both financially and morally. There are many benefits of drug testing students. Drug testing within school systems allows parents and teachers to get ahead of the problem and keep students engaged in healthy behaviors.
Is there really a problem with students and drug abuse?
Yes, the problem between students and drug abuse is an extreme one. In fact, students who begin using drugs at a young age are likely to continue the drug use by 12th grade and beyond.
According to a study done by Drugfree.org, “by the time students complete high school, 70 percent have smoked cigarettes, 81% have drunk alcohol, 47% have used marijuana and 24% have used another illicit drug.”
Substance abuse education must start at a young age to begin early intervention or prevent young kids from picking up their first drug. In fact, students who believe there is little to no risk in smoking marijuana end up being six times more likely to use long-term over students who believe there is moderate to extreme harm in using the drug.
When do students begin using drugs?
According to Drugfree.org, students may start as young as fourth grade. However, many students begin experimenting during the tween years and transition periods such as middle school to high school.
Substance abuse counseling for teens can be enacted within school systems to add an extra layer of safety and prevention against drug use. However, a study showed that only 36% of public schools and 14.4% of private schools offer some form of substance abuse counseling for students.
Each year, there are 13.2 million incidents where a 12- to 17-year old tries tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, Ecstasy or some other illicit drug.
What drugs can be tested?
At On Demand, our medical professionals can test for: amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, opioids, PCP, propoxyphene, methaqualone, codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and oxycodone. While drug testing in schools, we usually resort to a hair follicle test which entails taking a snippet of hair from the back, underside of the scalp. However, there are other ways to test for drugs, such as urine, oral fluids and breath-alcohol.
Selection of drugs to be tested for as well as testing methods can be customized at On Demand, and our medically trained professionals are always willing to provide training and further resources on the benefits of drug testing in schools and the workplace. Call our office to find out how we can test on-site, in our office and nationally: 330-270-3660.
What are the benefits of drug testing in schools?
Over 50% of teenagers, both middle school and high school, report that drugs are used, kept or sold at their schools— a scary fact for parents and school administration. School is supposed to be one of the safest places to send your child. Afterall, your child does spend 15% of their life at school.
Parent intuition isn’t always strong enough to know if your child is experimenting with drugs or not, which is why drug testing in schools is key to being proactive and catching up on any more arising issues. Drug testing in schools is likely little to no cost to the family if the school district is paying for it, so expense is not an issue for families who may not want to incur any extra costs.
Drug testing for sports or extracurricular activities is common in today’s school systems, but the problem between drug abuse and students goes further than extracurriculars. It would be beneficial for schools to drug test students at the beginning of each school year, with some random testing throughout the year.
To further protect students, drug K-9s and random drug testing can keep your school drug-free on a consistent basis. Drug K-9s can be booked through your local police department, however police departments try to refrain from sending their K-9s to schools as it can cause burn-out in the dogs and weaken their senses for a potential call for a drug bust.
On Demand suggests using a private K-9 company that will come to your site and provide results immediately after the tour while allowing administration to decide the next steps of action instead of automatic criminal offenses.
Drug abuse and students: Prevention saves lives
The benefits of drug testing students can really be endless. Drug testing students can save a life, and stop a potential drug habit in its tracks. Reach out to On Demand today to find out how we can come on-site to your school and drug test students.
