Student Drug Testing Argument Analysis

With drug testing amongst students increasing in popularity, many high schools have now implemented varying policies about drug and substance use and abuse. Schools adopting drug testing systems initiate policies that contain some sort of drug testing program for students involved in extracurricular activities. Most of these systems include a punishment plan to follow those students whose drug tests come back positive, in attempt to aid in the rehabilitation process. The controversy concerning high school student drug testing continues to increase with educated arguments on both sides of the topic. Specific aspects of drug testing are disagreed upon, such as which students are tested, how often tests are done, and the disciplinary action taken,

Norton appears to aim towards a more mature audience in his writing. Throughout Norton’s article he includes excerpts from doctors and other statistics researchers have found over the topic of student drug use and testing. Norton's article attacks a more logical aspect of the controversial topic. She uses sentences such as this one to add credibility to her article, “Daniel Romer is a researcher and director of the Adolescent Communication Institute at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center. He was not involved with the report, but agreed that random drug testing is largely ineffective”(Norton). This excerpt from Norton’s piece demonstrates how she used the credibility of another person and university to aid in the support of the viewpoint she advocated throughout her article. Norton writes against high school drug testing, but not in a manner that expresses extreme negativity towards the program or the idea. Rather, Norton approaches high school drug testing in a statistical manner. Readers of this article are provided with a variety of statistics concerning drug testing. The cost per drug test, how often drug tests come back positive, and what these drug tests are testing for, are all covered in this article. “And then there's cost. Levy's team said a single drug test is about $24. But since random testing catches so

The authors of these following articles covered discuss different variables that play into the controversy of high school drug testing that support their viewpoint while writing in a manner that effectively reaches their intended audience. Although there is a significant amount of disagreement over the situation, each author backed up their claims with either examples or statistics, pulling an effective argument for each case. Drug testing is argued to be ineffective, and a waste of school funds, as we see that is side Ingraham is advocating. Others have issues with the punishments given to students with proven drug use, and the lack of effectiveness that seems to show. On the opposite side of the spectrum people are taking a stance entirely for high school drug testing, including the punishments that follow. Both sides of this controversial issue have support from a variety aspects, including statistics, personal opinions and values, as well as example situations. This is where the topic of drug testing comes to a test of it’s