Drug Testing For High School Athletes Draws Weak Support

A plan to test suburban high school athletes for recreational drug use encountered strong opposition at a public forum.

About 150 people attended the Northshore School District forum Monday night and 72 were given electronic voting devices. Thirty-one percent “strongly agreed” with drug and alcohol screening before a student could turn out for a sport and 47 percent “strongly disagreed.”

Twenty-two percent “strongly agreed” that the plan would reduce the use of drugs and alcohol and 52 percent “strongly disagreed.”

The proposal would cover athletes at Bothell, Inglemoor and Woodinville high schools in the suburbs northeast of Seattle.

School officials said the idea arose in a parent forum, rather than in response to a specific incident, and was studied by a task force.

“Deterring drug and alcohol use is a compelling interest of schools and particularly in athletics, where there is a risk of injury,” said Eric Barnum, Northshore director of student services and athletics.

“It’s unconstitutional, illegal and just plain wrong,” countered Dewey Sage, who has two daughters at Bothell High. “Don’t you dare test my daughters. There will be litigation.”