Drug Testing at Area School Sparks Controversy

By Young Lee '98
During the past summer, the school board at Chester-Upland High School passed a revolutionary and somewhat controversial school policy that sent shock waves throughout high schools in the surrounding Philadelphia area. The school adopted a policy which allowed the school to randomly test athletes for illegal drugs. Despite its good intentions, Chester-Upland's stance on drug policy has not come without criticism and questions from many people, locally and nationally. Here is a basic overview on the issue of random drug testing:

Is It Constitutionally Legal?
Yes it is. In 1995, the US Supreme Court permitted random drug testing of athletes in public schools. From that point on, many high schools across the country have adopted drug testing policies. Soon after the Supreme Court's decision, Mid-Prairie High School in Wellham, Iowa, suspended twenty-four football players who tested positive for both illegal drugs and alcohol. It is constitutionally illegal for public schools to mandate that every athlete take a drug test, but random testing of athletes is perfectly legal and Chester-Upland has taken that approach.

Why Has Chester-Upland Adopted This Policy?
"We owe it to our kids," responded Dr. Joseph Lapchick, the superintendent of Cheste Spanish, English and Pre-Calc; itating event has led to our decision. We just feel that this is the right thing to do for our kids. If an athlete is tested positive, then the student will be offered progressive help, both through rehab programs and the school itself. Will the student lose his privileges as an athlete? Yes, but only for a short while. The first positive test will be crucial, because it's really up to the athlete to dictate his or her fate. If the athlete responds positively and stays successfully drug free, then he or she will be welcomed back on the team. No suspensions from school. Nothing on the permanent record. However if the athlete has tested positive again and again, the consequences will become gradually more harsher, the worst one being expulsions from school. This is a system of both progressive help and progressive punishment. It's up to the student to decide which road to take."

Why Test Only Athletes?
Three weeks ago, on the "Steve and Mike Show" on sports radio 610, both hosts, Mike Missineli and Steve Fredericks argued over the issue of Chester-Upland's drug testing policy. "Why test only the athletes?" Fredericks asked Missineli. Missineli responded to this question in a very sarcastic manner, "Who else are they going to test? The chess team?"

The Supreme Court has legalized drug testing of athletes, but not of the entire student body. Many essays and commentaries have questioned the assumption that high school athletes are the only ones with substance abuse problems. In an issue of the magazine, The First Aider, Bart Peterson, head trainer at Campbell Co. High school in Illinois, wrote an essay on why high school athletes are susceptible to drugs and alcohol. "Due to pressures of competition, the sporting environment began relying on drugs to facilitate performance. This improvement can come in many forms: skill, speed, endurance, size strength and wisdom. Although wisdom cannot directly be affected positively by the use of performance enhancing medications, almost all others can be directly or indirectly afffected by such drugs... By most accounts, only a small minority of elite athletes are willing to use drugs to gain an edge over the competition. Yet we find an ever increasing number of athletes who are experimenting with such drugs."

Germantown Academy history teacher Peter McVeigh points at another reason. ""The amount of drugs in the professional level of athletics have scared officials at the high school, even college level. That is why high school athletes are being targeted as potential drug addicts. Take the Allen Iverson situation this summer when he was caught with marijuana, or even Mickey Mantle and his alcoholism. School officials see these high profile athletes using illegal substances, and figure it is a problem all athletes at any level have."

Is Singling Out Athletes For Drug Testing A Good Thing?
"Athletics is a privilege, not a right," said Dr. Lapchick. "We may not be able to help everyone, but we're doing the best we can with what we have. Drug testing athletes will be beneficial to the student and the whole student body at large."

Other people think differently. Head of GA athletics Jim Fenerty said, " I believe that random drug testing is fine, but I get leery over the idea of concentrating on particular group of the school population. Why not test the drama club or the music groups?" Head of the Upper School Tony Garvan agrees. "If drug testing is so good at curtailing the number of drug users in high school why limit it to just athletes. Why not everyone? The school would benefit much more greatly from random testing of everyone, then from testing a particular group of people."

Where Does GA Stand On Drug Testing?
Earlier in the school year of 1996-1997, SFAC spent a substantial amount of time discussing the prospects of drug testing at GA. Many proposals were discussed, one of addressed the drug testing of athletes. This proposal was met with such negative feedback, that it was shot down very quickly.

However, because GA is a private institution, it can legally drug test not only athletes, but anyone it wishes. "The Olympics is a good example of this situation," Mr. Garvan said. "Because this event is held in such high prestige, there are many high standards for the athlete to uphold, one of them being drug-free. Although it does not officially, GA can set its own high standards and put itself in a position where it wants to be a substance free campus, by drug testing every student. The message would be, 'if you want to be a GA student, then don't use drugs, or go somewhere else.' GA does have this freedom."

Would Drug Testing Anyone At Any Institution Work?
In the short run ,maybe, but in the long run, no. "There is a difference between not using drugs and not using drugs because you might get caught," said Mr. Garvan. "Drug testing could help some users, but to many others, it would be viewed as an obstacle, something to deceive. Some might try to find ways to beat the test, but most will just probably just wait it out. Once they graduate from GA, they're free to do all the drugs they want again. The only way to get rid of high school use of drugs, is to simply hope and trust that each student will make the right decision not to do drugs. The key here is education. If the student learns self control, action from the school won't be necessary." That of course, is a big if.