Random drug tests could be given to high school athletes if the Iowa Legislature passes a proposal introduced to the House last week by Rep. Chuck Larson, R-Cedar Rapids.

Iowa law currently prohibits school districts from giving students drug tests, but if the new proposal is passed, it would empower public schools to perform random drug tests on student athletes.

The legislative proposal, which would require the full Iowa House, the Senate and Gov. Tom Vilsack to endorse it, is the latest effort to disarm drug use among teens.

“I don’t like random drug testing,” said Johnie Hammond, District 31 state senator. “My position on drug testing is that there should be probable cause.”

Hammond said probable cause would be warranted if a student were “on the football field behaving erratically,” but otherwise she said she is opposed to infringing on any individual’s privacy.

Invasion of privacy is a serious concern in regards to drug testing for several reasons, she said.

One concern is that an adult must be present during drug testing, which means a student must obtain a urine sample while an onlooker observes him or her.

Hammond said her opinion about drug testing does not have anything to do with how she feels about drugs.

“I care about that issue very, very much,” she said, “but I don’t agree with random drug testing and invading people’s personal privacy.”

The proposal could fail at any time as numerous decision makers see it, but Hammond suspects the proposal will pass at the House level.

“I’d guess that Vilsack would veto it,” Hammond said, “but I also know that he’s very upset about the meth epidemic.”

The bill succeeds a move made in eastern Iowa by the Maquoketa School District, where administrators approved a policy last month that would allow random drug testing if it were permitted under state law.

However, school administrators in Ames do not foresee their school district moving in the same direction.

“Maquoketa apparently felt it was needed in their district, but right now I don’t know enough to say it’s needed here,” said Bud Legg, Ames High School athletics director.

Legg said he does not support drug testing at this time, but if the school board says they need it, he will be the first one to stand behind it.

“I’m not saying I wouldn’t support,” he said, “but I want evidence to see that it’d be prudent and wise and would bring about desirable results.”

If evidence from other districts proved drug testing to be effective, Legg said he might reconsider his position.

At this time, however, he thinks the annual $14,000-$15,000 cost for the random drug testing would be better spent on preventative measures.

“Drug testing is an expensive item,” Legg said. “And there is also an issue of who will pay for it.”

Many questions arise when considering the implications of passing such a bill.

“What is random?” Legg said. “Who do you test, how often and what drugs do you test for?”

Legg does not think the problem is big enough to attack with such vigorous spending.

“I’m not going to be killing ants with a sledge hammer,” he said.

There are other ways of handling the issue, Legg said, and testing only athletes sends the wrong message to students as it appears to be borderline “discrimination.”

Legg said the “unspoken message is just as loud,” and non-athletes might wonder why no one cares if they are taking drugs.

“Does that tell them that athletes are more special or more important?” he said. “Even though I’m the athletic director, I’m just as concerned about the student that’s not in athletics as the one that is.”

Legg said he felt the students in athletics and activities are put in the spotlight because they represent their school. He also said participation in an extracurricular activity is a privilege and not a right.

“What do you take away from a non-participating student?” he said, and added the answer might be to randomly test everyone — athlete or not.

“But will random drug testing catch everybody? No.” Legg said. “If you’re doing it randomly, then it’s not 100 percent.”