In school districts around the country children in grades as low as middle school are required to take a drug test before they can play sports or take part in drama or other extracurricular activities.

Parental outrage has been swiftly followed by lawsuits, according to the New York Times. States where middle schools conduct drug testing include Florida, Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia, Arkansas, Ohio, New Jersey and Texas.

High schools test for drugs. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of school drug tests in 1995. Some districts used this as license to expand drug testing into middle school. This Seattle Times editorial applauded a state Supreme Court ruling opposing random drug tests, saying it came absent proof or strong suspicion that drug use was a problem among athletes. According to the Times story, positive drug tests among student athletes are the result of marijuana, not growth hormones or steroids.