Essay On Student Athletes Drug Testing

Drug Testing in High Schools for Student Athletes

Despite the known fact that car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens, 9.9 million people age 12 years and older report driving under the influence of illegal drugs (“Drug Facts”). Drug testing for student athletes could save a considerable amount of these lives. Student athletes in middle school and high school should be drug tested in order to participate in sports at school.

Drug use violates athletic department rules. If drug tests are positive, student athletes can be suspended from school and their sports teams. Over the past year, Claudia Reardon states that 6.6 percent of high school athletes surveyed were using Anabolic steroids, along with 2 percent using banned substances. Furthermore, steroids enhance athletic performance, which is considered cheating. Some people may believe that students will be less likely to participate in sports if drug testing is implemented, but that is not true. According to Prevention Not Punishment, “Some schools with

Amongst high school athletes surveyed, 12 percent of boys and 8 percent of girls admit to abusing prescription painkillers (“Survey Says”). Athletes commonly use drugs more than their peers (“Survey Says”). Most studies have found that around 15 percent of high school student athletes have used or currently use performance enhancing drugs (“Abuse of Drugs”) . There are too many student athletes in our nation’s high schools using drugs.

Drug testing should be implemented in high schools and middle schools in order for students to participate in athletic related activities. 90 percent of drug addictions start in the teen years, with use leading to possible stroke, airway resistance, and aggression among many others (Feliz). Do you really want your students in that type of situation? Implement drug testing in your middle school and high school now for the safety of your students’