The Effectiveness of Mandatory-Random Student Drug Testing (Executive Summary)

Despite a decline in adolescent substance use over the past 10 years, the prevalence of illicit substance use among youth remains high and a cause of concern. Recent national estimates indicate that 47 percent of students report having ever used illicit drugs and 72 percent report having ever drunk alcohol before leaving high school (Johnston et al. 2008). The negative consequences associated with substance use in adolescence include low academic outcomes, delinquency, and risky sexual behaviors (Baskin-Sommers and Sommers 2006; Ellickson et al. 2003; Roebuck et al. 2004).