Many schools turn to drug testing in their campuses in an attempt to prevent students from taking drugs, but this method is not effective. Instead, a positive school environment is proving to be much more effective in preventing students from taking drugs.
The drug testing, being done in about 20 percent of high schools in the United States, is generally administered to students who participate in sports and after-school clubs, and those who are suspected to be using drugs. However, in a new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, it was found that these drug tests did not at all deter students from using drugs.
In the study, 361 students were interviewed and asked about their school environment, and whether their school had a drug testing policy. About one-third of the participants said that their school had a drug testing policy. Over the next year, participants from schools with a drug testing policy were found to be no less likely than other students to try marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol. They were just as likely to try illegal substances as students from schools without a drug testing policy.
However, students from schools with positive environment were about 20 percent less likely to try taking drugs. A school with a positive environment had students and teachers that treat each other with respect, and rules were clear-cut.
"Even though drug testing sounds good, based on the science, it's not working," said co-author of the study, Daniel Romer, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, however, schools with a positive environment were not as effective in curbing drinking. Two thirds of the students, regardless of their school climate or drug testing policies, said they had tried alcohol. Romer believes this is more an effect of culture, which condones drinking on certain occasions. However, when it comes to curbing drug use, schools can aim for a more positive environment, which can help deter students from taking drugs.
