An Ohio Catholic high school announced it would drug test all of its students every year starting in January 2020.
Stephen T. Badin High School, which is located in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, announced in a letter on its website that the mandatory testing comes as part of an overhaul of the school’s health and wellness program.
“The impact of drug use on young students and their families is staggering and our community is not immune to this issue,” the letter stated.
Students found out about the policy at a Tuesday assembly.
The school said in the letter that the initiative is an “aggressive stance against the threat of drug use” that will ultimately “provide parents greater peace of mind.”
Students will undergo drug testing at least once a year but could be tested more than once at random if there is a suspicion that a student is using illegal drugs.
If a student tests positive, the parent or guardian of the child will be notified and the child will have to see a medical professional for an evaluation before taking another drug test within 90 days.
Failure to take a test will result in a positive drug test. All drug test expenses are the responsibility of the parent or guardian of the student, WXIX reported.
“We believe that there is a spiritual aspect to all drug and alcohol abuse and that the abuse of these substances is an attempt on some level to fill a void that was meant to be filled only by God,” the school said in a statement on its website.