David Elam, who heads Dutch Fork s sports booster organization, said, I think it s a great idea. I think there will be pressure among athletes to participate. The star indicates they re taking a stand that they re not going to do something stupid. Peer pressure is bad if it makes you take drugs, but it is good if it re-enforces our warped policy. Mr. Right Hand meet Mr. Left Hand.
Studies show that drug testing is frequently inaccurate.
In August 2000, the Indiana Court of Appeals struck down a school s policy of performing drug tests on students who participate in sports or other extracurricular activities, or who drive to school. A lawyer for the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, which argued the appeal, said that a school might test an individual student if he or she is suspected of using drugs, but not an entire group of students who are under no such suspicion. The US District Court is scheduled to hear the case next year, with the case eventually headed to the Supreme Court. Such testing should not be a condition for participation in sports or any school functions except for health-related purposes. Suspicion of drug use warrants a comprehensive evaluation by a qualified health professional.