The constitutionality of random drug and alcohol testing of students in secondary schools

Adolescent drug and alcohol use is a major public health problem. Multiple studies indicate that substance use is a risk factor for physical and mental disorders in adolescents. Secondary schools and the communities they serve have been facing a long-standing problem of substance abuse. American adolescents have become quite accustomed to drug prevention being a part of their curriculum. However, some policy decisions made by school administrators have been legally challenged. In 1989, Vernonia School District serving a small community in Oregon, instituted a random drug testing policy of its athletes. In 1991, the parents of a seventh grader refused to give their consent for random drug testing. The seventh grader was denied participation in the sport and sued the School District arguing that the school policy violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and Article I, Section 9 of the Oregon Constitution. In 1995, on appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, the School District won the case. The Vernonia School District versus Acton case became a landmark case, but random drug and alcohol testing in secondary schools has been a subject of multiple court cases. The authors discuss three of them. Both Federal and State Courts have recognized that a secondary school environment in itself represents "a special need," for which suspicionless searches are sometimes necessary to maintain order, safety, and discipline. Drug and alcohol testing programs in secondary schools may still be challenged on its legality. Therefore, examining court sanctioned programs and their long-term efficacy statistics is recommended.