The U.S. Supreme Court has sent public schools down a dangerous road that leads to infringing the rights of thousands of middle and high school students. In a decision handed down last week, the court ruled public schools can require students involved in any extracurricular activity - not just sports - to take drug tests.

This 5-4 decision ignores the right of all Americans to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

For years, many schools have required student-athletes to take drug tests because of the danger those athletes can face from the combination of illegal substances and rigorous physical activity. Being under the influence of any number of drugs can put these students at serious risk of injury or death. But testing every student who wants to try out for the school play or be on the debate team simply oversteps the Bill of Rights.

There is no reason to test all students in the glee club for speed, or the children on the chess team for steroids. Doing so is simply an invasion of privacy.

Under the principles of the Bill of Rights, officials have to have some reasonable cause to believe illegal behavior is occurring before a search is conducted. This same standard should be applied to the at-large body of students at middle and high schools.

School officials should never tolerate the illegal use drugs or alcohol by their students. If a student comes to school intoxicated, or tries to take part in an extracurricular activity high, then they should be tested and, if positive, punished for his or her illegal behavior.

Schools that do require drug tests have the right idea - they want to curb a problem plaguing many youth. But they’re employing the wrong means. Education and awareness are the keys to fighting drug use, not the scare tactic of mandatory drug tests.

We should be encouraging young people to be more involved in their schools and communities by being part of an extracurricular activity, not less by scaring them away.