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Student drug-testing programs: do these programs negatively impact students?
A 2008 review and analysis of school report-card data on 52 New Jersey school districts examined the question of how a student random drug-testing program impacts student culture and morale in school districts where these prevention programs have been implemented as compared to non-testing districts. The results of the review and analysis are available in this report from the Student Drug-Testing Coalition. To read the report, click here.

Read what student drug-testing program researchers, a legal authority and the president's drug policy expert had to say about the Michigan student drug-testing study when it was released to the public, along with an analysis and technical review offered by the Student Drug-Testing Coalition and Dr. Robert DuPont, a student drug-testing researcher, of why this study should not be relied upon as accurate and authoritative on the subject of student drug-testing programs.

-John Walters, Director ONDCP, in his response to an editorial parroting the erroneous conclusions of the study: "The analysis does not compare schools with "random drug screening programs" to schools that lack them. A national study that examines actual random screening programs would make a contribution to the genuine student drug testing debate. This is not that study."

-Robert L. DuPont, M.D., President of Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. and former director of NIDA characterized the study as a "sad example of the reckless misuse of survey data." and criticized the use of "data that is completely inadequate to support the policy positions taken by the experts quoted in the article" (Dr. DuPont's full analysis of the study is available below)

-David Evans Esq., attorney specializing in student drug testing programs : "The New York Times had an article on May 17 about a study indicating that student drug testing may not be effective. The study was preliminary... Let me remind you that there are three other recent studies that show that testing works."

-J. Michael Walsh, Ph.D., internationally known expert on substance abuse issues, having served in top leadership positions in ONDCP, NIDA, and the President's Drug Advisory Council: "The lack of direct assessments of both student drug use and school drug testing in this study make any definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of school drug testing nothing more than conjecture." "Furthermore, the survey didn't measure student testing being conducted in schools, rather it measured whether the school had a policy to test."

Click on the links below to read commentaries on the Michigan Study

Student Drug Testing Coalition Review and Commentary (pdf)

Robert L. DuPont, M.D. Comment on New York Times article-6/5/03 (pdf)

Click below to view the Michigan Study

University of Michigan Study (pdf)

Follow the links below to see recent studies on student drug-testing programs!

Hunterdon Central Regional High School

The Hunterdon Central RHS data presented in this report is derived from three student-drug use surveys conducted over a five-year period covering the time prior to implementation of a random student drug-testing program in 1997; two years after implementation of the random testing program; and finally in 2002 following a two-year suspension of the random testing program due to the high school being targeted by the ACLU for lawsuit. The random testing program was re-implemented at December 2002 when the high school prevailed in court.

Hackettstown High School 2004-2006

       Data shows drug use down since implementing a random drug testing program. Read the full report.

The SATURN Study (pdf)

Preliminary results of the SATURN Study and other related studies from the Oregon Health Sciences University on student drug-testing programs. January 2004

Student Drug Testing Preliminary Study (Robert L. DuPont, M.D., et al.)

The Effectiveness and Legality of Random Drug Testing Policies, 2002 (Joseph R. McKinney, J.D., Ed.D.)

Effectiveness of Random Drug Testing Programs: A Follow-up Study, 2004  (Joseph R. McKinney, J.D., Ed.D)                  

Data on Indiana High Schools with Drug-Testing Programs, 2004 (Joseph R. McKinney, J.D., Ed.D)

Survey of Indiana high schools with random student drug-testing programs, 2005 (Joseph R. McKinney, J.D., Ed.D)

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