Breaking Down Aquinas’s New Random Drug Screening Policy: Answers to Students' Burning Questions

At the beginning of the school year, students were informed that Saint Thomas Aquinas would be implementing a new Random Drug Screening policy beginning January 2025. The administration has chosen to begin this new policy to protect students with hopes the policy will influence students to make good decisions and say no to drugs. Aquinas’s Board of Trustees unanimously supports the school’s implementation of the new drug screening policy.

As our world has changed, so have the influences and risks for our children. We trust our administrators and staff when they say this is needed to help protect the safety and health of our students, in partnership with parents and guardians.

Saint Thomas Aquinas Board of Trustees

In September, students were given a presentation about the Random Drug Screening policy in their theology classes. In this presentation, students were provided information about when the screenings would begin and what the process would entail. Even though the presentation was thorough, there were still some burning questions from students. Here are some of those questions and the answers.

Why is Saint Thomas Aquinas doing hair testing over another kind of testing?
The other popular testing method is urine analysis, but it is not as accurate and can be easily manipulated. Hair sampling is more reliable and every sample is tested twice to ensure an accurate result. Hair testing can also more accurately place a timeline on when the drugs were taken and how much. 

How do the drugs get into the hair?
By ingesting or smoking the substance, it gets absorbed into your system and it shows up in your hair shaft. Using the technology that Psychemedics utilizes, the drugs can be found and reported.

What if someone near me was smoking and now the smell is stuck to my hair?
Drugs will not be detected because for them to be flagged, they have to be inside the hair shaft. Drugs will only show up if they have been ingested or inhaled, you will not test positive from secondhand smoke. 

What if I don't have long enough hair? 
According to the Psychemedics website, “Hair can be collected from several locations on the head and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. If head hair is not available, certain body hair can be used as an alternative.”

Where is the money coming from to fund the expensive drug tests?
It's not as expensive as you might think to get the entire school tested and the Board as well as school administration believe that it is important and worth the price. When we asked Principal Dr. Lori Greeson if she believed it was worth it she said “Absolutely. Why? Because I want to make sure kids are safe, that's my number one priority.” To clarify, the money used to fund the drug tests is not coming out of the school's sports and activities budgets.

Can the screening detect alcohol, nicotine, or steroids?
Psychemedics will only be screening students for the presence of these drugs: Marijuana, Cocaine, Phencyclidine, Opiates, and Amphetamines. The reason why they are testing for this specific set of drugs is because of how addictive and dangerous they are. They are testing for vapes, but specifically for THC, not nicotine. In terms of steroids, if the specific steroid falls into the category of the drugs being tested, it will come back positive. In regards to alcohol, Psychemedics can test alcohol if needed but Aquinas is not testing for it, yet. If in the future they determine that it is an issue that needs to be regulated they can add it to the testing.

Are prescriptions like Adderall going to be flagged?
If it is considered a type of drug and you have to have a prescription, it would come back positive. Further testing would tell scientists how long you have been taking a certain drug and how much of it you take. The school will investigate whether it is a prescription rather than something you take recreationally. 

Overall, the Random Drug Policy has been well-received by parents, students, alumni and the community. The administration has emphasized that the policy is intended to protect student health and safety in response to the changing risks and influences students face.

I think that the drug testing will motivate students to say no and will give users a way out. I also think that it will help bring awareness to people who struggle with it.

Anonymous Senior Girl

The Shield also reached out to an alum for her opinion on the new policy. When we sat down with Emma Heidesch (2022) she was not aware of the new policy but felt it was a positive change, especially since other high schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas have drug testing policies. "If it’s been a good thing for the other schools, it makes sense if it betters the students,” Emma said. She also shared that even though “It (drug screening) wouldn’t have applied to me, for certain people that I knew, it probably would have been a good idea."

We hope these answers to students' questions has helped dispel any confusion surrounding the new policy. Remember Saints, the drug screenings start in January, so stay safe and make wise choices! 

About the Contributor

Maeve is senior, class of 2025. At Aquinas she manages the Rugby team, is a Key Club Officer and a Senior Ambassador. Outside of school, she loves hanging out with friends and listening to music.