Imagine this, a beautiful fall Friday evening, minutes after winning an important playoff football game. Celebration is in the air as fans look around gratefully knowing that all of the players, cheerleaders, band members and other students are drug-free – no steroids, tobacco products or alcohol to be found anywhere. What they see are students who are simply excited about life and creating unforgettable memories. The streets are safer, parents sleep more soundly, and students are safe from all the harmful side effects of these substances. This is a wonderful snapshot of the dream of many. Unfortunately, drug use among adolescents continues to increase in the United States. Schools, parents and other agencies must do everything possible to prevent students from experimenting with drugs. Unfortunately, many of today's students see no harm in taking illegal drugs, drinking alcohol underage, or taking dangerous supplements to enhance their athletic performance (Volkow i). In fact, students who use performance-enhancing drugs are more likely to suffer injuries during an event or have an unfair advantage over the competition. If random drug testing were conducted in high schools, athletes, along with other students, would receive a clear message that drugs are dangerous and will not be tolerated. It would help students resist peer pressure and, more importantly, reduce the use of drugs and other illegal substances by intervening before an out-of-control addiction problem develops. The debate over random drug testing of student athletes has been ongoing for quite some time. time. Many felt that such tests would violate their right to privacy. However, in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 6 to 3, ruled that the test was not a viola... middle of paper... Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne, MD. “Teen Drug Abuse Symptoms, Warning Signs, Risk Factors, Treatment - MedicineNet.” MedicineNet. Ed. William C. Shiels, MD. np and nd Web. 03 November 2013. .Franz, Joseph, MD. “Drug Testing of Student Athletes.” The Sport Journal (2000): np 2000. Web. 1 November 2013. McGowin, Mallory. "Does the DARE program really work?" News. CBS. KRCG, Missouri, February 2, 2008. Television. Transcript."Some Florida schools perform random drug tests on students." Web log posts. Teachers' World. Np, Feb. 2, 2011. Web. Nov. 1, 2013.Volkow, Nora D. Facts about marijuana for teens. Np: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013. Print. What you need to know about drug testing in schools. Foreword by John P. Walters. Washington DC: Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2002. Print. NCJ195522.