Features Editor
The Carroll
County school system in Georgia has announced that it will begin random drug
testing in its five high schools beginning next school year. This new program was
put into effect after a unanimous decision by the county’s board of education. The
testing will affect all student athletes, students involved in extracurricular
activities, and students who drive and park on campus. The measure has been
well received by parents and students, who claim drug use among student
athletes has become an issue. Critics have taken issue with the cost compared
to the success rate of such tests; school drug tests cost $24 each while only 1
in 125 tests return positive. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 18 percent of public high schools have mandatory drug testing
policies.
