High schools in various school districts have conducted research to try to prove that mandatory drug testing can prevent drug use among student-athletes. Mandatory drug testing is already in place at the collegiate and professional level in almost every sport. Drug testing is necessary at higher levels because steroids and other drugs are often used to gain a competitive advantage (Bouchard and Sprague 1). To ensure that students remain drug-free and improve their performance not only in their sport, but also in the classroom, it is necessary for authorities to conduct mandatory drug testing in every high school (Issit and Newton 1). Mandatory drug testing began as early as the 1980s, where it became a regular practice in schools due to concerns about drug use among young people (Lee and Walter 1). However, some believe that drug testing of high school students is unconstitutional and ineffective (Ballaro and Finley 1). Mandatory drug testing often motivates students not to use drugs; therefore, it should not be considered a “pointless exercise”. So what’s the best solution to ensure student athletes stay drug-free and lead healthy lives? In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that schools are allowed to drug test students as long as it does not affect them academically. More than 1,000 middle and high schools have chosen to require students to take a drug test before they can participate in extracurricular activities. If a student's test results come back positive for drug use, the student is usually banned from extracurricular activities until he or she participates in counseling and follow-up testing (Ballaro and Finley 2) . This may seem like an effective way to prevent students... middle of paper ......teachers and administrators want to keep grade retention positive in the education system, so they should support drug testing. Parents should also encourage their children not to use drugs. It makes sense to continue a program that works and can help many students become drug-free (Issitt 4). Works Cited Ballaro, Beverly and Finley, Laura. “Point: Just say no to mandatory drug testing in schools. » Viewpoints: Mandatory drug testing (2013):1-8.Bouchard, Erika and Sprague, Nancy. “Drug testing in sport: an overview.” » Viewpoints: Drug Testing in Sport (2013): 1-6. Issit, Micah and Newton, Heather. “Counterpoint: Mandatory drug testing programs protect students. » Viewpoints: Mandatory Drug Testing (2013): 1-7. Lee, M. and Walter, Andrew. “Mandatory Drug Testing: An Overview.” » Viewpoints: Mandatory drug testing (2013):1-5.