“A medical dictionary defines a drug as “any substance which, when ingested into the living organism, can alter one or more of its functions”” (Newton 12). However, when talking about drug testing for abuse, a person usually thinks of illegal drugs or drugs that can impair athletic performance during sporting events. Mandatory drug testing was not allowed in public schools until June 2002, when the Supreme Court allowed public schools to conduct random drug testing (Carroll 23). This decision allowed drug testing in all schools in the United States, not only for athletes but also for students who participate in activities within the school, such as clubs and competitions (Carroll 23). Even though drug testing is now authorized by the Supreme Court, many schools do not yet have a mandatory drug testing policy. Mandatory drug testing of high school athletes should be required because it decreases drug use in schools, is relatively inexpensive, and can prevent drug use and/or abuse that can lead to lifelong addiction. An example of an issue with mandatory drug testing is Vernonia Dist. school. Case 47J v Acton. In this case, the Vernonia School District, located in Oregon, requires any student wishing to participate in activities such as athletics, such as football or basketball, to sign consent forms authorizing drug testing random throughout the sports season in question. A test takes place at the start of the season and during the season, each week, students are placed in a “pool” and 10% of the athletes are chosen for random drug testing. What happened in this case was a student named James Acton wanted to play football for his school, but in this school district, the student and the park... middle of paper. .. indicate support from most doctors. drug testing of high school athletes. “Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) (September 1, 2006): NA.General ReferenceCenter Gold. Gale of wind. WiseOwl from North Carolina. March 26, 2009Scalia, Antonin. "Vernonia Sch. Dist. 47J v. Acton (94-590), 515 US 646 (1995)." Cornell University Law School. June 26, 1995. Legal Information Institute. March 26, 2009. Yamaguchi, Ryoko, Lloyd D. Johnston, and Patrick M. O'Malley. “Relationship between student illicit drug use and school drug testing policies.” (Research papers). " Journal of School Health73.4 (April 2003): 159 (6). Gold.Gale General Reference Center.. 2009 .