Strongsville City School District this year will be implementing a new drug-testing policy for all middle and high school students participating in sports, extracurricular activities or who drive to school.
Great Lakes Biomedical, the agency that will provide the testing, said it contracts with 160 public and private school districts in Ohio and Michigan, including some in Northeast Ohio.
Most of those schools have similar drug-testing programs, typically involving at least one scheduled drug test each school year, where students are notified in advance, along with several random drug tests throughout the school year, said Kyle Prueter, owner of Great Lakes Biomedical.
"Its biggest effect is like, Saturday night or whatever day when a student comes around and says, 'Hey, you want to hit my vape or joint?' And it gives that student an opportunity to say, 'You know what? We get tested. No, I don't want to risk it. Let's do something else,'" Prueter explained. "Boom. Right there. The majority of the whole program is giving kids one more reason to say no and also give schools one more tool in their toolbox to to help kids stay off drugs."
The school district has seen an increase in marijuana and vaping use in recent years, said Cameron Ryba, Strongsville's superintendent. Specifically, students are using marijuana younger and more are using it on a daily basis; Ryba added the program is being put into place as Ohio has legalized the recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and older.
The school district is mostly concerned about alcohol, marijuana and illegal drug use, but he said students could also be tested for nicotine use.
"Although it may not impact (academic) performance, it does have a negative effect on the health of our students," Ryba said of students vaping or smoking nicotine products.
Overall, teen use of most illegal drugs has been declining for the last several decades, however, the overdose rate among teens has risen dramatically between 2010 and 2021, the National Institute on Drug Abuse said in a 2023 report analyzing trends on teen drug use. Many school districts are concerned about drugs teens use being spiked with fentanyl, a powerful opioid, Prueter said.
Ryba cautioned that the program is not meant to be punitive in nature. There will not be any "academic" consequences for students who fail the drug tests, and it will not go on their record, but it could result in them losing out on privileges to participate in teams or clubs, he said.
"We want to give them the opportunity to make healthy choices and to provide help to those students that are truly struggling with consistent use and possibly addiction," Ryba said.
Typically, schools with drug-testing policies in Ohio escalate punishment based on how many tests students fail, up to three or four times, Prueter explained. On first or second violation, for example, a student on the football team might be suspended for one or two games, but could eventually get cut from the team if they fail enough times. Students are often assessed to see what help they need upon failing the first time, and students and parents also have the ability to refer the student for that assessment if they know they will fail a test, avoiding any punishment, he said.
School districts in Northeast Ohio like Wadsworth and North Olmsted have similar policies in place, according to a copy of drug-testing policies provided by those districts. At North Olmsted City School District, on a first violation, the student and their parents are required to meet with their principal to discuss the test results and consequences.
"The student will also be recommended to make contact with an Alcohol and Drug Education/Intervention Program beginning with an evaluation from a licensed chemical dependency counselor being the goal," the North Olmsted policy reads. "A list of area resources to complete this recommendation will be provided by the school district, but the choice of which provider to use is decided by the parents and the student. All costs associated with the Alcohol and Drug Education/Intervention Program are the responsibility of the parent of the student. The student will be required to take part in all future drug tests that occur at NOHS (North Olmsted High School) or NOMS (North Olmsted Middle School)."
The first time Wadsworth City Schools students violate the policy, they are required to pursue any treatment recommended after an assessment is done; if they refuse to do so, they will be suspended from 50% of the athletic season (in the case of student-athletes). Wadsworth High School also has a "nicotine education program" for students found to have nicotine in their system.
Ryba in Strongsville, said specifics on how many times the district will test students, and which drugs they'll test for, are still being ironed out. The district is paying for tests on an ongoing basis, so it's not clear yet how much the drug-testing program will cost, he said.
