Front Line Soldiers In The War On Drugs Protect Children Teachers Should Set A Drug-Free Example.

Should schoolteachers be subject to drug testing now that the U.S. Supreme Court has authorized the practice? Yes.

Much of the “war on drugs” centers on our nation’s schools.

Schools operate a variety of programs, such as DARE, to discourage drug abuse. Signs posted near schools proclaim “drug-free zones.” Athletes are tested for drug use.

Mandatory drug testing is another tool for bolstering the anti-drugs message. It is an opportunity for educators to prove to kids they mean business by showing a willingness to walk the walk, not just lecture to “do as I say.” Effective school administrators will not exclude themselves in setting the good example.

The vast majority of teachers are above reproach. To drug-test only the very few who generate cause for suspicion sets up such individuals for embarrassment and ridicule. In cases where suspected drug abuse is eventually proven, the problem would likely have become noticeable even to the students. Periodic drug testing of all staff could detect problems early, while they can still be treated with discretion and dignity. For those with nothing to hide, drug tests are, at worst, a nuisance.

Teachers can be second only to parents in influencing a child’s life. A teacher who uses illegal drugs, even recreationally, may project that relaxed attitude toward the drug culture onto students in classroom discussions. For a popular teacher involved in extracurricular school activities or other social interaction with students, the opportunities for introduction to this lifestyle become numerous.

The list of harmful vices and activities that teachers might pursue and expose their students to is not limited to - or even headed by - occasional “recreational” use of a controlled substance. But drug abuse is a felony and can have devastating consequences.

Employee drug testing is not a new thing; many companies and organizations, public and private, require drug tests of employees.

Teachers are not being singled out as likely offenders. Rather, they are held up as examples of virtue to highly impressionable young people. Teachers’ willing compliance with drug testing can be another excellent way for them to lead by example and prove they really care about their students, gaining respect as a result.