Drug Testing - What issues should we study before we determine whether or not to drug test?
There are many issues to consider in order to determine whether or not to institute a drug testing program for school activity participants. If a testing program is instituted, thoughtful consideration is critical to making the program effective and able to stand possible legal challenges. Many of the items to be considered are mentioned and described in other pages on this web site or in the references listed. Following is a list of some of the important items to consider.
- What is the purpose and what are the reasons for doing drug testing?
- How will drug testing fit with other school and community prevention and intervention programs?
- Who will be tested and why? (Athletes or Activity Participants?)
- What is the rate of drug use in this group?
- How has it been documented?
- How does it compare to other groups?
- How does the purpose and reasons for testing fit with the group that is tested?
- What will be the impact on students? Their parents? The community?
- How will testing procedures be communicated?
- How will participants be informed that they are to be tested?
- How will informed consent be obtained?
- What testing protocol will be used? One or a combination of the following?
- mandatory
- random
- voluntary
- suspicion-based
- follow-up (after-care or probation based)
- What type of testing procedure will be used?
- What laboratory will be used?
- What is the experience of the laboratory and the technicians?
- Is there a government certified laboratory (certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in your area available to drug reliable analyses?
- How convenient is its location?
- What is the accuracy rate of the selected tests at a particular laboratory?
- What is the rate of false positives?
- How likely are false negatives to occur?
- What are the procedures that should followed for good test accuracy and reliability?
- How will specimens be handled?
- How and who will collect specimens for testing?
- How will the specimens be collected?
- How will participants be observed during testing?
- Where will specimens be collected? At school? Testing laboratory?
- How will specimens be handled and delivered to the testing laboratory? Sealed and transported (if not collected at testing laboratory)?
- Who will analyze the specimens?
- How will drug testing be financed?
- Will school activity programs pay the cost?
- Will money be used from tobacco, alcohol, and other drug prevention funds?
- To what degree may community animosity jeopardize financial and other support systems currently in place?
- Will the community support the cost of the drug testing program and, if so, to what degree?
- What should happen with the results?
- Who should be initially notified initially?
- Will a medical review officer be employed and how will he/she be involved?
- What will the initial contact do with the information?
- Who else in the school (or outside the school) should be notified and when?
- Will law enforcement officers be informed of positive tests?
- How will the individual tested be notified?
- When will parents be notified?
- How will procedures differ if the results are negative or positive?
- How are results to be verified?
- How will you protect the rights of the individual to confidentiality?
- What is the appeal process for the student who tests positive?
- How will a student with a confirmed positive test be disciplined? Be helped?
- How will the drug testing program and procedures fit with other school policies (due process, student assistance, and discipline)?
- How will the drug testing program and procedures fit with educational role of the school?
- What will the level of support from students? parents? school staff? and the community?
For additional information of what to consider when studying a school drug testing program, see the following:
Legal Issues: Option should be explored before starting student drug-testing program by Joseph C. Franz, M.D. Interscholastic Athletic Administration (Volume 24, No. 1), Fall, 1997.
Sports and the Courts: Several issues should be considered before starting drug-testing program by Tim Flannery. Interscholastic Athletic Administration (Volume 22, No. 3), Spring 1996.
"Coaches Guide to Drugs and Sport" by Kevin R. Ringhofer, PhD, and Martha E. Harding. Copyright © 1996 by
Human Kinetics. Available in bookstores or by calling 1-800-747-4457. $18.95 plus shipping/handling. This book is also the textbook used the in the "Drugs and Sport" coaching education courses for the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Education Program (NFICEP) and the American Sport Education Program (ASEP).
