In 1988, the Tennessee Legislature passed permissive legislation (TCA 49-940) that allows school officials to test suspected students for using drugs. The law provides that testing is optional, with each local education agency deciding whether or not to adopt the policy. Twelve school systems chose to adopt the legislation as board policy. This…

The drug-testing plans covering 11 of the 12 civilian federal cabinet-level agencies met the requirements of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, and the guidelines themselves were found to contain the elements required by Public Law 100-71. However, the drug-testing plans differ, so employees may find different circumstances…

The issue of drug testing is the focus of this ERIC Digest. Several aspects of drug testing discussed in question-and-answer format: (1) What is the current status of drug use in the schools? (2) What legal questions arise when schools consider drug testing? (3) How might drug testing be applied in a fair, economical, and legally safe manner? (4)…

Filing a lawsuit against a school district often means challenging the core values of a community. Cases discussed include a suit to prevent the broadcasting of morning prayers in school ("Herdahl"), a suit over the singing of a religious song ("Bauchman"), and drug-use testing for student athletes ("Acton"). (MLF)

Focuses on the recent application and interpretation of the Fourth Amendment to school children. Discusses the amendment in regard to the relationship between school authorities and children, students' legitimate expectation of privacy, reasonableness in justification of a search, issues of mass mandatory screening, and requirements of due process…

University legal counsel advising public institutions about the constitutionality of student-athlete drug testing must be prepared to show that the need for such programs outweighs the invasion of privacy. Performance-enhancing drugs should be distinguished from ordinary street drugs because competitive pressures to use the former justify random…

This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) provides guidelines for counselors and criminal justice personnel who treat offenders with substance use disorders. TIPs are best-practice guidelines that make the latest research in substance abuse treatment available to counselors and educators. The content was generated by a panel of experts in the…

Despite considerable recent public and judicial attention to the issue of drug testing, little empirical research has focused on the relationship between drug testing in schools and the actual use of illicit drugs by students. To explore this issue, we use school-level survey data about drug testing from the Youth, Education, and Society study and…

Outlines what is required of school districts for compliance with new regulations that require employers to test drivers with a commercial driver's license for the illegal use of alcohol and controlled substances. (MLF)

Presents results from the 1992 Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program that measures illicit drug use among persons arrested for criminal behavior. Adult use of specific drugs, male juvenile drug use, and the role of the DUF are explored. (GLR)

Examines whether Fourth Amendment of United States Constitution applies to relationship between student athlete and educational institution and whether drug testing is illegal search and seizure in violation of the amendment. Suggests that institutions strike an appropriate balance between helping student athletes protect their own health, while…

Objective: This study's aim was to determine how patients' and providers' characteristics affect hospital providers' decisions to screen pregnant and postpartum women for illicit substances. Methods: A retrospective design was used. Participants included all low-income women (N=1,100) who delivered at an urban teaching hospital over a 12-month…

Evaluations of prison-based drug treatment programs typically focus on one or two dichotomous outcome variables related to recidivism. In contrast, this paper uses multiple measures of outcomes related to crime and drug use to examine the impact of prison treatment. Crime variables included self-report data of time to first illegal activity,…

This bulletin examines the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) program, which asserts that juvenile offenders should be held accountable for their crimes as a matter of basic justice and to prevent and deter delinquency. It reviews the developmental perspective shaping…

Reviews legal challenges that employers are likely to face in the 1990s. Issues discussed include discriminatory recruiting, harassment, globalization and equal employment opportunity laws, wrongful discharge and drug testing, disabilities, family/work legislation, and state legislation. (TE)