Discuss the pros and cons of drug testing

Drug Testing in a High School Setting : Pros and Cons

[T]he plague of illicit drug use which currently threatens our nation 's schools adds a major dimension to the difficulties the schools face in fulfilling their purpose - the education of our children . If the schools are to survive and prosper , school administrators must have reasonable means at their disposal to deter conduct which substantially disrupts the school environment

- The court declaration in Todd v . Rush County Sch , 1998 (American Bar Association

Introduction

Taking steroids to enhance athletic performance has become

widespread among athletes worldwide . This practice not only violates athletic regulations and the intent of fair competition but also damages many of the body 's major organs . Drug testing has therefore been implemented in many collegiate and professional sports and some high school athletic programs with the goal of maintaining competitive fairness

Drug testing is the method that has been chosen to identify those athletes who use banned drugs to enhance their sports performance at the expense of the athletes who do not take drugs . Almost any athlete competing above the high school level , and increasingly at even high school level too , is subject to drug testing . There are almost as many drugs used by athletes as there are sports . Some athletic performance enhancers are not drugs at all . Some performance-enhancing techniques use human hormones (or synthetic derivates thereof , and other use the athlete 's own blood . Some of these techniques are presently undetectable by urine and blood samples

Drug testing alone will not be enough to stop the use of steroids and other drugs . While drug testing is the first line of defense at the collegiate and professional levels of sport , athletes , parents , and we coaches and trainers must bear the greater responsibility for keeping the playing field level at the junior high and high school levels

The use or possession of alcohol and illegal or controlled substances by students is reaching epidemic proportions . Along with traditional education and drug-resistance programs in the schools and the community proactive prevention and deterrence measures must be in place and publicized to all students . Drug testing is part of a much wider picture . Curbing drug use and implementing drug testing policies are significant concerns of parents , administrators and us coaches

The important pros of mandatory drug testing within a high school sports setting are

Greater deterrence to drug use

Promoting fairness in sports competitions

Helping drug users relinquish their drug dependency (punitive aspects need to be minimized

A brief history of drug testing

Drug testing of humans began in the late 1950s , when , after several European cycling and track races , evidence of drug use was observed . In 1965 , procedures were developed which were capable of detecting a number of different stimulants these were used to test participants of the Tour of Britain Cycle Races . The fist formal testing for nonsteroidal drugs occurred at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games though there still was no official testing for steroids . The development of complex...