Why student athletes should be drug tested Essay

Why student athletes should be drug tested - Essay Example According to ESPN, the University of Oregon has decided to implement drug tests for its athletes on random basis right after a research conducted by ESPN proved that football teams that play at University level have forty to sixty percent of the total players who are involved in the act of abusing marijuana (ESPN, 2012). Similar kind of random and announced drug activities have been implemented by several universities. These tests have gained immense amount of criticism as these tests have failed to achieve the objective for which these tests were being conducted and have ended up being counter productive. These tests have been criticized because these tests do not reduce drug abuse, these tests can result in loss of trust and these tests are against individual’s constitutional rights. The drug tests conducted on random basis among athletes are conducted because educational institutes believe that these tests will decrease the probability of athletes using drugs and since athl etic students are popular, other students will follow their lead. The universities even believe that students will fear the tests and due to the fear that these results will be informed to parents, athletic students will not abuse drugs. Two studies conducted during 2003 reported that drug tests never reduce consumption of drugs and these tests may lead to increase in consumption.