Two US Catholic high schools propose mandatory drug testing

Two Catholic high schools in Dayton, Ohio plan to begin testing all students for drug use in response to the growing opiate epidemic in the country.

According to school administrators, both Carroll High School and Chaminade Julienne High School are adopting the mandatory drug testing as a component of a wider program addressing health and wellness issues.

Carroll High School Principal Matt Sableski cited local news reports of drug overdoses as one of the main reasons for implementing the proposed program.

Carroll’s mandatory drug testing program will begin in the 2017/18 school year. Chaminade Julienne’s will begin voluntary drug testing in the 2017/18 school year, with mandatory testing beginning in 2018/2019.

Chaminade Julienne High School Principal John Marshall hoped that the year of voluntary testing would provide enough time to address any concerns that parents might have about the proposed program.

Both schools stated that the purpose of the program was not punitive but was a chance to teach students about the harmful effects of drug and alcohol addiction while they were still young. Officials indicated that disciplinary action would be taken only against students who repeatedly tested positive for drug abuse.

Carroll and Chaminade Julienne are the first schools in the Miami Valley area of southwest Ohio to implement mandatory drug testing for all students, but several private high schools in other areas of the state have already adopted this practice. The current law in Ohio prohibits testing public school students for drug use except for those who participate in extra-curricular activities.