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There is no "probable cause" to do random drug tests.  Now, if Junior is staggering down the halls or appears to be otherwise "whacked out" then we have probable cause for drug testing, but that is not RANDOM.

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Of course, I would never be "whacked out". :D

Anyways, I agree with what LyricBoy said.

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My chiropractor thinks it is a good idea but I told him that I didn't because it violates the students' civil liberties.End Quote

Just a quick thought here: but because they're minors are they really protected by laws like that?  Or are they declarations like the Geneva Convention?

Another thought, what do they do when they find someone who failed the drug test?  Kick them out?  Uh-oh, great just what the country needs.. another DODO ("doped-out drop-out"  <- ya like that??  I just thought of it.  Copywrong, No Rights Deserved 2004. Secret Squirrell Enterprises.  There, now everyone who uses that has to pay me. :D).

But then, lots of dopers end up dropping out.  :P

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There was an article in the local paper about our local high school discussing the possibilty of random drug testing in the school. My chiropractor stuck up a discussion about this topic with me yesterday and I thought this would be a good discussion here too.

My chiropractor thinks it is a good idea but I told him that I didn't because it violates the students' civil liberties.
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Sure, here is a thought.

For all students under the age of 18, just get a parental conscent form.  After all, under the age of 18, the student has no rights.  They are a ward of their parents.

Personally, I wish such a program was available nation wide.  This in conjunction with a good drug program might help parents get involved with their kid's drug activities, and know for a fact if their kids are useing drugs or not.

Of course, if they are over 18, they can always refuse and drop out.  I think most people are forgetting that school is a benefit, and not a right.  And I know that when I was in school, I was real tired of the druggies hastling us "straight" kids.  I could even tell you about the riot that broke out in my HS when 6 of them tried to take the US Flag from myself and 3 other ROTC cadets before a High School football game in 1983, but that is another topic.  :P

Quoting:I could even tell you about the riot that broke out in my HS when 6 of them tried to take the US Flag from myself and 3 other ROTC cadets before a High School football game in 1983, but that is another topic.  :P
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Oh dude, I have to hear this :D  Don't be disrespecting the flag, punks 8)

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Since the PUBLIC schools are government entities, I see RANDOM drug testing as a violation of the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution, regardless of whether or not it is associated with sports teams or so on.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

There is no "probable cause" to do random drug tests.  Now, if Junior is staggering down the halls or appears to be otherwise "whacked out" then we have probable cause for drug testing, but that is not RANDOM.

The Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling that allows random drug testing for extracurricular activities.  "We find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the school district's legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring, and detecting drug use," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court.

But the Court and Thomas missed the point.  This is not a privacy issue.  It is an issue of conducting a search (and seizure of blood evidence) without any probable cause.

The decision should be reversed.
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I completely agree. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, not all teens are like that. I'm not and neither are any of my friends.

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Are there forms you have to fill out allowing them to do random searches of the football team?
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It depends.  At schools like mine, there was, but at some, there aren't.  I think in IL, the IHSA requires such a form stating that you will refrain from using drugs/alcohol if you are involved in any sport.  However, it is up to the schools to decide how they are going to determine if athletes are using illegal substances.  I think some of them even do random urine testing, which is covered in their "waiver".

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I agree with Cheer.  Especially if the extracurricular activities are ones that could be dangerous if you aren't paying attention.  Football, Cheering etc.  Plus, I think it helps these kids think about consequences if they know they could be tested.  Maybe they will think before they partake.

I like the idea of cameras in the halls and classrooms at schools.  If there is a problem and you have a student saying "nope didn't happen" and another student or teacher saying "yes it did" then the cameras can clear that up.  
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I don't like having cameras at my school because they're everywhere, and I hate the feeling that i'm being watched, and at school I know that I am, and it makes me paranoid.  :-/

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When I was in high school, involved in cheerleading & sports, we had to sign (as did our parents) an "honor code" stating that we would not use illegal drugs/alcohol.  It also listed the consequences of being "caught".  We were never actually tested, but some of my friends were "busted" based on the word of another student (who had been drinking also) and suspended from all extracurricular activities for a short period.  One of my friends hadn't been drinking, but she was still suspended for trying to "cover" for the other.  I think if you're involved in ANY extracurricular activity, you should have to sign one and be subject to random testing.  For the rest of the student body, however, I don't think it's right.
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I think random drug testing might help students who hide their habit to face up to it and GET HELP. But that can get hairy if the kid and his/her parents don't get along or if the kid's parents are abusive.