Is it an invasion of privacy to drug test students?

  • The courts have held that the rights of the majority to be healthy and safe outweigh the constitutional privacy rights of the individual.
  • Drug testing is a proven, proactive deterrent to illicit drug use – if you don’t use illegal drugs, you have nothing to worry about.
  • Drug testing is a standard procedure that most people will experience at some point in their lives, especially when applying for a job. Certainly, athletes who want to compete at the collegiate or Olympic level should get used to the idea of drug testing.
  • If schools follow basic drug testing procedures, students will provide the sample in a private area with strict confidentiality procedures.
  • Other forms of drug testing, such as hair analysis, may be available.