The Safety First Project - Take Action > Oppose Drug Testing

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Take Action > Oppose Drug Testing > Launch a Campaign

If you hear that people in your community want to start drug testing your students, you can stop them. Here is how:

Know your facts!

Stay informed!

Gather all of the information that you can about what is being planned in your district. This includes the following information: who is planning the program, who supports the program, what the members of your school board think about the program, what the program will cost, and what research is available to refute the program. The best inquiries are made informally, but if you have a hard time getting information, you may be able to write a public records act request for any official documents talking about the proposed policy. Click here for more information on how to submit a Public Records Act Request.

Go to Meetings!

Find out when meetings are being held to discuss the proposed drug testing policy and attend all of these meetings. Do not go alone: bring other parents, students, teachers, coaches and other advocates who oppose a drug testing program.

Run the School Board!
By joining the school board, you can have a vote against a drug testing program, and can try to convince other school board members to oppose a drug testing policy. Parents and students can run for the school board. Most states allow anyone over the age of eighteen to be on a school board, even if they are still in school.

Find Your Allies!
Contact other parents and teachers and explain why drug testing is a bad idea. Find out who else in the community might be your ally, such as clergy, academics, etc.

Write a Sign-On Letter!
Circulate a sign-on letter opposing the policy to other parents, teachers and advocates. We provide a sample sign on letter here.

Be the Teachers!
Educate the public about what is going on. The best way for this to happen is through your local papers. You may want to send a press release informing the papers of your opposition to the policy, write an opinion piece for your local paper , or if there has already been a newspaper article covering the proposed policy, send a letter to the editor in response to the article.

Meet With Decision Makers!
Meet with public officials, school principals, or other administrators who have the power to decide whether a drug testing policy will be enacted in your school or school district.

Hang Posters and Give Them to Friends!
Print out posters opposing your school's drug testing policy and circulate them to every parent. Just imagine if every house in your neighborhood had a poster opposing student drug testing-the school board would have to listen.

Need More Info?
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