There’s a growing trend in schools across America: instant drug testing. With this, students are sent to take an oral swab where if anything that looks like it could be alcohol or drugs, they will get punished by their school.
The Controversy Over Rapid Tests
Students and parents alike have been voicing their concerns over the recent trend of schools demanding increased drug testing for students. As a result, some students are being punished for drug use that they have done at home or on the weekend, not during school hours. Parents also feel that their rights are infringed upon when random drug tests are conducted without warning or proper consent.
On the other hand, schools argue that they must ensure their students’ safety and well-being, including drug tests. Schools are also testing more often because of the increased use of drugs among young people.
One thing is clear: instant drug testing is becoming common practice for schools across America, and with it comes to both controversy and support. There’s no doubt that instant drug tests are challenging traditional conceptions of human rights, as rights such as privacy and discretion can be disregarded. However, the instant drug tests can also act as a deterrent to students from using drugs during school hours, which is dangerous for their development and future success.
Proponents Argue That Testing Saves Lives
Instant drug testing has the potential to save lives by catching those who would otherwise go undetected. In addition, the instant tests could identify those who can potentially be harming others or themselves while under the influence of drugs.
Regardless, instant drug testing should not be normalized in schools across America without private consent from students and parents, especially since it infringes on human rights for the sake of safety. instant drug testing cannot replace other preventative strategies that are needed to ensure student success.
What Are Instant Drug Tests?
Rapid drug tests, also known as instant drug screenings, instant saliva drug tests, and instant oral fluid drug screenings, are a form of rapid molecular screening that can lead to instant results. There has been an increase in the number of instant drug tests conducted in schools across America due to the increased use of drugs among young people.
Legal Issues Surrounding Random Drug Tests for Schools:
The recent trends toward random school-based drug testing have prompted questions regarding this relatively new practice’s legality, effectiveness, and ethicality. Many students argue they should not be forced to incriminate themselves under the threat of punishment. At least one U.S. Circuit Court judge has upheld their argument, ruling that instant drug testing in schools constitutes a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
How Drug Testing is Used in Schools
The Effects of instant drug tests for student-athletes and non-athletes alike have been well documented. Nevertheless, instant saliva testing has recently led to lawsuits regarding students’ rights regarding random drug testing in schools. In two such cases, the instant test result was used as the basis for disciplinary action against high schoolers who were not even athletes and therefore ineligible for mandatory drug screening.
The constitutionality of instant salivary tests is based on the premise that they do not violate an individual’s right to privacy or constitute unreasonable search and seizure. As such, some courts have upheld their use by public schools, claiming instant drug screening does not constitute a violation of the student’s constitutional rights.
School Drug Testing: Facts and Stats
Many U.S. schools have used instant tests for mandatory pre-employment testing, students involved in extracurricular activities, and random screenings. Instant tests are approximately 99% accurate in detecting various drugs at five minutes or less post-ingestion. The instant saliva drug test is also 20 to 50 times more sensitive than instant urine or instant blood drug test.
The most common type of instant saliva drug test uses a two-step process. A primary antibody/antigen complex is formed when the target analyte competes with its respective drug conjugate for binding sites on an enzyme or other protein within the device microstructures. Instant oral fluid drug tests such as instant saliva and instant urine tests and blood tests can detect drugs within 5 minutes.
Instant saliva tests are non-invasive, painless, and provide prompt results. In addition, these instant tests do not require a laboratory setting and can be administered by trained personnel in a school office or clinic.
In the past, drug testing has been done in schools randomly or after an incident. Drug testing can be done through various methods such as hair follicle tests, blood tests, and urine tests. There are laws surrounding drug testing that must be followed by both the school and the parents of the tested students. -Drug testing is a way to ensure safety at schools, provide a safe learning environment for all students, and help deter drug use. Parents need to know when their child’s school will be conducting random drug tests and what procedures will need to be followed if their child is selected for a test.