Why Test?

• 19.8% of youths aged 16 to 17 have used illegal drugs in the last 30 days
• 11.2% of those 14 to 15 used in the last month
• Even in junior highs, 4.2% of students aged 12 to 13 are current users

In a US Government survey of teenagers 12-17 years old:

• 55% said it was easy to obtain marijuana
• 25% said it was easy to obtain cocaine
• 16% said it was easy to obtain heroin

• After implementing a drug testing program, a Psychemedics client found detentions for fighting dropped 85% and were down 65% for disruptive behavior

• Harvard studies indicate that youths who use marijuana at age 17 or earlier perform significantly worse than non-users on tests involving verbal functions.
• Studies at Yale indicate adolescents are more vulnerable to developing addictions because the brain regions that govern impulse and motivation are not yet fully formed.

• In an Oregon study, students subject to random drug testing were nearly 4 times less likely to use drugs than those who were not subject to testing.

2005 National Survey On Drug Use & Health
Dept. of Health & Human Services

• Teens who use illicit drugs are twice as likely to engage in violent behavior than those who do not.
• 27% of teens who abused illicit drugs reported attacking others with the intent to harm.
• 39% of teens who abused illicit drugs have stolen or tried to steal something worth more than $50 (compared to 9% of non-users).

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Special Report, Teens, Drugs, & Violence

• Teens who use drugs have lower levels of commitment to their education, higher truancy rates, and declining grades
• Teenage brains are still developing. Studies link:
• – Marijuana use with long-term deficits in verbal skills
• – Methamphetamine with slower cognitive response
• – Ecstasy with long-term memory impairment
• Those who use drugs as teens are far more likely to become drug-dependant as adults

• Those who use drugs have:
• More disruptive classroom behavior
• More fighting
• More stealing
• More property destruction
• This affects the learning environment for students who choose not to use drugs.