Drug Testing - Who should be tested and what is the selection process?

Who to test depends on many factors. These factors include your purpose for testing, your budget, and legal issues. Your purpose for testing needs to justify the group you are testing. For example, if the reason for a testing program is primarily to reduce the risk of physical harm, there should be reasonable evidence that the group you are testing is at risk of physical harm and at greater risk if using drugs. If your primary purpose is to keep the playing field level in sports competition, the group you are testing should be involved in sports competition. If testing athletes, the purpose should identify the reasons you are testing this group, and if testing all school activity participants, the purpose should explain why. The purpose may also determine which drugs are be tested. See the following for related information about the purpose, the cost, and legal issues concerning "Who should be tested?"

• What drugs will tests detect?
• How much does drug testing cost and how accurate is it?
  
• What are the legal issues?
• What issues should we study before we determine whether or not to drug test?
  

There are several protocols for the actual selection of individuals from the group or population to be tested. Several terms used to describe testing protocols are: mandatory, random, voluntary, suspicion-based, and follow-up testing.

Mandatory means everyone in the population group is required to undergo testing. Required could mean that everyone gets tested prior to and/or at some point during the season or activity term. It could also mean that those selected or chosen for testing at a particular time are required to undergo or follow through with testing.

Random selection is one way to determine who from the population group is required to undergo testing. Randomly selecting individuals for testing lowers the number of tests and therefore the cost of the drug testing program. Random selection also means that any individual would have an equal chance of being chosen for any testing period. If testing is done frequently, with short or no notice, and on a year-round basis, the chance of being selected at any time and caught if using screened drugs can deter drug use. Testing everyone at every selected testing period may have more of deterrent effect, but would also be far more costly if done at the same intervals as random testing.

Another way to identify individuals to be tested is based on suspicion. In this case, if there is evidence of reasonable suspicion of drug use, a drug test may be required if part of a mandatory program. In suspicion-based testing, care is needed to follow appropriate criteria to avoid the perception that test selection is arbitrary or that certain students may be targeted or "picked on."

Follow-up testing is done after a drug use incident or during and after completion (after-care) of a drug rehabilitation program. The primary reason for most drug testing programs is to deter drug use. Follow-up testing focuses on deterring those who have been caught or admitted using from further drug use.

Voluntary testing programs may be done in number of ways. Students may agree to volunteer to be tested at the beginning of a season or activity period, randomly, based or suspicion, or as a part of follow-up. In some cases, students may voluntarily agree to testing to reduce punishment after being caught using drugs. Because students are not required to undergo these tests, there may be less animosity toward the testing program. However, there may be pressure from coaches, other activity leaders, other athletes, other activity participants and parents to "volunteer" for drug testing. Volunteer programs are usually easier to administer, less costly, and less susceptible to legal challenges.

For further information about the pros and cons of voluntary and mandatory drug testing see the Interscholastic Athletic Administration (Volume 24, No. 1, Fall, 1997) article by Joseph C. Franz, M.D., entitled: Legal Issues: Options should be explored before starting student drug-testing program.