Creighton Prep's Drug Testing: Not Such A Great Idea
Ashley Turner
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Creighton Prep, an all boys high school located in Omaha, announced that mandatory drug testing will start in the 2014-15 school year. These tests will use hair samples to discover if a student has used alcohol, opiates, PCP, marijuana, amphetamines or cocaine.
Drug testing was already required for student athletes at the school, but school officials said that the testing comes after years of participation in the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factor Student Survey, a substance-abuse related survey that surveys students on risks like alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, gambling, antisocial behavior and other problem behaviors. School officials added that after a student fails one test, a meeting with counselors, the student and their parents will take place. After three failed tests, the student is ejected from school.
Honestly, I don’t see a point in kicking the using student out of the classroom. Sure, it’ll help the school know which students are not making good choices outside of school, but if a student gets kicked out of school, who’s to say that the student won’t keep doing drugs or consuming alcohol? In most cases, I can almost guarantee that the user will continue his or her reckless behavior, whether in school or not. The student can still buy drugs and the student can still use those drugs. Like the old saying goes, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
That being said, if a student does have a big enough drug or alcohol problem that they fail their test three times and do get kicked out of school, the school should try to get said student help instead of just leaving them in the dark once they leave school.
The hair testing might be a good idea for the school, but I feel like if a student fails the test three times, the school should make more of an effort to fix the problem outside of the classroom rather than ignore it until the student is removed from school. If someone already has a drug problem that stemmed in his or her teens, the problem is going to get continually worse without help like rehabilitation or counseling.
Overall, it's a pretty dumb move for Creighton Prep. The testing is smart, but kicking the student out of school isn't going to solve the problem.
