Study: Drug Testing in Schools Ineffective

Doesn't stop students from trying them

Many schools employ drug testing to deter students from using illegal substances – but new research has revealed that these checkups actually fail to dissuade teens from trying drugs.

According to Counsel and Heal, approximately 20 percent of high schools in the United States utilize drug testing, usually to screen students participating in sports or after-school clubs.

In a new study published in Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, researchers interviewed 361 students – a third of whom reported having a drug policy at school.  Through these reports, the scientists said they did not find any evidence that drug testing successfully prevented students from trying drugs.  They noted that students from schools with drug testing were just as likely to try illegal substances as students from schools without drug testing.