In recent years, athletes are under even more pressure than ever to perform. Professional sports have numerous drug testing policies to ensure the game is fair and that athletes are healthy. Despite the common use of drug testing in professional sports, Canadian high school athletes aren’t subject to drug testing. It is well known that high school is a demanding time for students. With intense workloads, athletics, activities, and personal stressors, high school can feel like a roller coaster at times, and balancing this workload and emotions can be difficult for some. These stressors can lead to poor decision making and these are decisions that could change a student's life. For athletes in particular, the pressure to perform can lead to performance-enhancing drugs, but also recreational drug use. Because of these stressors, athletes can become vulnerable and therefore easily fall victim to peer pressure. Within the last year alone, twenty-three percent of Ontario students were offered, sold, or given a drug at school, and forty-two percent have used an illicit substance (Teen Challenge, Canadian Drug Crisis). Athletes undergoing drug testing would have a built-in reason to resist these peer pressures to try or use drugs.
School administrators are charged with ensuring a safe, supportive, and healthy school environment where children can learn and reach their full potential. When drug use occurs, schools use a progressive disciplinary approach that combines early and ongoing intervention to promote positive student behavior (Ontario Ministry of Education). Through drug testing, schools would be reinforcing and promoting a safe drug-free environment. Students would be less likely to interact with drugs knowing that they are subject to testing at any time, while simultaneously recognizing the policies and consequences. Additionally, parents and guardians can be reassured that the schools are acting in the best interest of their children and that the school is a safe environment for them to be in.
Athletes are expected to play with others fairly and obey the rules of the game. When an athlete uses drugs to enhance their performance, it raises questions about the integrity of the game. Drug testing ensures that no athlete has an unfair advantage over others who are trying to compete without using unfair tactics. Many high school athletes plan on pursuing a career in sports, and the first step toward that would be university/college-level athletics. It wouldn’t be fair if scouters recruited a using-athlete whose performance is enhanced by drugs, over a non-using athlete who is playing with natural skill. Discovering using athletes would allow for the opportunity to reinstate the virtues, heart, and “team player” aspect of sports, which are very important values to any athlete. Drug testing levels the playing field and gives all athletes an equal opportunity at achieving the highest standard.