Name: ________________________________________________________ 12-15-09
Essay is due on Friday, December 18th, 2009
PERSUASIVE WRITING TASK #2
*This prompt, as well as the outline, sample paragraphs, and self-peer editing sheet previously provided will be
posted on Homework Now for you to access. My email is a.alston@hackensackschools.org if you need me.
WRITING SITUATION
In recent years, the prevalence of drug use among teens in America’s schools has increased quite a bit. Studies
show that in 2003, American students in grades nine through twelve indicated that 40.2 percent of respondents
had used marijuana, 12.1 percent had used inhalants, 11.1 percent had used MDMA (also known as ecstasy),
8.7 percent had used cocaine, 7.6 percent had used methamphetamine, 6.1 percent had illegally used steroids,
3.3 percent had used heroin, and 3.2 percent had injected an illegal drug one or more times during their
lifetime. As a result, public schools now provide training for teachers, administrators, and staff regarding how
to recognize the symptoms of students under the influence, and what to do if students appear under the
influence while in classrooms or on school grounds. Additionally, schools require teachers and staff to
immediately escort suspected students to the nurse’s office where they must undergo urinalysis, a physical
exam, and even drug rehabilitation if necessary.
Because of the recent increase in teen drug use, and the backlash that teachers have been receiving from
students as a result of being identified as drug users, your principle is considering implementing random drug
testing for all students at various points during the school year. Your student council president has urged all
students to write an essay explaining their opinions of this controversial issue. What is your point of view?
How would this policy affect you and other students in your school?
DIRECTIONS FOR WRITING
Write an essay either supporting or opposing the proposal to implement random drug testing for all students in
your school. Use facts, examples, and other evidence to support your point of view. You are encouraged to use
statistics from actual sources.

Read the article attached. This will help to give you information on the issue being discussed, and
provide you with possible support for your essay. Then brainstorm reasons for both sides of the
argument before choosing your perspective. Once you begin writing your essay, remember to access
the outline(s) and sample(s) distributed previously. Your essay should be six paragraphs in length,
contain a clear thesis, and provide concrete evidence.
FOR drug testing
AGAINST drug testing
Name: ________________________________________________________ 12-15-09
Essay is due on Friday, December 18th, 2009
National Drug Intelligence Center
Teens and Drugs Fast Facts
http://www.justice.gov/ndic
How significant is teen drug use?
Drug use among teenagers in the United States is a serious concern. In 2003 more than 7.5 million individuals aged
12 to 17 reported having used an illicit drug at least once in their lifetime. In the same year students in grades nine
through twelve indicated that 40.2 percent of respondents had used marijuana, 12.1 percent had used inhalants, 11.1
percent had used MDMA (also known as ecstasy), 8.7 percent had used cocaine, 7.6 percent had used
methamphetamine, 6.1 percent had illegally used steroids, 3.3 percent had used heroin, and 3.2 percent had injected
an illegal drug one or more times during their lifetime.
Furthermore, 9.9 percent of student respondents nationwide tried marijuana for the first time before the age of 13,
28.7 percent had been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property during the year preceding the
survey, and 5.8 percent had used marijuana on school property one or more times during the 30 days preceding the
survey.
What is the correlation between age of first drug use and dependence?
Adults who first used drugs at a younger age were more likely to be classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse
than adults who initiated use at an older age.
For example, among adults aged 18 or older who first tried marijuana at age 14 or younger, 13.0 percent were
classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse compared with only 2.8 percent of adults who had first used
marijuana at age 18 or older.
Teens who first used marijuana before age 17 were shown to have smaller brains and to be physically smaller in
height and weight than teens who first used marijuana after age 17. Exposure to marijuana and other drugs at
certain critical periods, such as early adolescence, may alter normal patterns of development.
What are some of the risks specific to marijuana use?
Marijuana use, which is prevalent among youth, has been shown to interfere with short-term memory, learning, and
psychomotor skills. Motivation and psychosexual/emotional development also may be affected.
Early adolescent marijuana use increases the risk in late adolescence of not graduating from high school,
delinquency, having multiple sexual partners, and not always using condoms. Such marijuana use can result in
perceiving drugs as not harmful, having long-term problems with cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana, and having
friends who exhibit deviant behavior.
In addition, early adolescent marijuana use is related to later adolescent problems that limit the acquisition of skills
necessary for employment and heighten the risks of contracting HIV and abusing legal and illegal substances.
What are some risks associated with the use of other illicit drugs?
Any illicit drug use by adolescents can have immediate and long-term health and social consequences. Overall,
mental health problems including depression, developmental lags, apathy, withdrawal, conduct problems,
personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, suicide, and other psychosocial dysfunctions are
frequently linked to substance abuse among adolescents. Drug abuse has been shown to increase the likelihood of
psychiatric disorders.
Name: ________________________________________________________ 12-15-09
Essay is due on Friday, December 18th, 2009
Abuse of specific drugs exposes users to a range of serious consequences. Cocaine use is linked with health
problems including eating disorders, disabilities, and death from heart attacks and strokes. Hallucinogens can affect
brain chemistry and result in problems with learning new information and memory. Methamphetamine can cause
rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and damage to the small blood vessels in the brain that can lead to stroke.
Heroin use can result in slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and even death.
Young people who inject drugs expose themselves to additional risks, including contracting HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus), hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne viruses. Chronic injection drug users also risk
scarred or collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and liver
and kidney disease.
Substance abuse among youth has also been strongly linked to delinquency. Arrest, adjudication, and intervention
by the juvenile justice system are eventual consequences for many youths engaged in alcohol and other drug use.
What are some common signs of teen drug abuse?
Sudden and extreme changes in personality, physical appearance, social activity, or school performance may signal
teen drug use. Personality changes may include becoming disrespectful and verbally or physically abusive, extreme
mood swings, paranoia, confusion, anger, depression, and secretive behavior. Teens who abuse drugs may lie about
what they are doing and where they are going. They may also steal, claim to lose possessions they once valued,
have a lot of money, ask for money, and withdraw from family and family activities. With regard to physical
effects, teens using drugs may exhibit a lack of hygiene and grooming, weight loss or gain, hyperactivity or
lethargy, and insomnia or excessive sleeping. These teens may also drop old friends and activities, skip school, lose
interest in school, receive low grades, sleep in class, lose concentration, and have trouble with memory.
Global Medical Systems, Inc.
Expert Drug Testing and Diagnostics
Drugs of Abuse Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.xpressdrugtest.com/faq.html
What is the detection period for marijuana?
Marijuana is detectable in the urine for 48-72 hours after one initial use. Habitual use is detectable in the
urine for up to 12 weeks depending on quantity and frequency.
Random drug testing in schools
Clare Gerada, Director of RCGP Substance Misuse Unit and Eilish Gilvarry, Consultant Psychiatrist
in Addictions
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472793/
Drug testing was responsible for a significant reduction in cigarette smoking among 8th grade students (13-yearolds) from 35.9% to 24.4%, alcohol use from 39.9% to 30%, and cannabis use from 18.5% to 11.8%.
Students can outsmart their testers and find ways of cheating the tests. A Google search for ‘passing a
drug test’ resulted in over 900 000 hits in less than 1 second. In a school district in US, students who were
facing a hair test shaved their heads and body hair.14 Others have argued that drug testing can lead to
mistrust and resistance from students and, thus, inadvertently perpetuate problems, particularly in inner
city schools.15
Name: ________________________________________________________ 12-15-09
Essay is due on Friday, December 18th, 2009
The lack of trust implicit on testing must not be underestimated. By subjecting a young person to testing,
even with the student's and parental consent, implies a loss of trust. The process of testing may be long
and involved with initial screening tests and then confirmatory tests if the result is positive. This process
may be harmful for the child, leading him or her to be labeled as a user. If drug testing is introduced it
must therefore be supported by treatment and a supportive environment.
Drug testing must respect privacy and confidentiality. Parents and children must receive accurate and
detailed information on the school policy; parents must give consent for younger children, with older
children giving their own consent if they understand the full implications. All should be fully informed of
the problems with biological testing, the course of action that will be taken on the result of a test — this
both in terms of disciplinary action but more importantly treatment approaches — and pastoral care and
support. At present there is little evidence that random testing in schools prevents drug use in those that
have not started or deters those already engaged in drug taking. In addition,16 it has been argued that
random testing fails the Department of Health screening criteria.17 Schools need to determine whether
random testing is a preventative and/or deterrent measure, or used within a treatment program. There is an
urgent need to determine whether such programs are effective in accomplishing specific goals in order to
justify continued and more generalized testing. The Department for Education and Skills have produced
guidance on all matters relating to drug education, the management of drugs within the school community
and supporting the needs of pupils.18 This guidance recommended that schools should ensure that pupils
who may be vulnerable to drug misuse are identified and receive appropriate support, although,
importantly, does not suggest random testing to identify these pupils.