KFDM COOP Posted January 26, 2008 Report Posted January 26, 2008 Texas high school steroid tests might not find many offenders Lofty Texas program aimed as a deterrent for high school athletes 12:54 AM CST on Saturday, January 26, 2008 By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News [email protected] Texas is launching the nation's most ambitious high school testing program for steroids in the coming months, but few expect the effort to catch many offenders. Local school districts that test for drugs The $6 million, two-year experiment will reach less than 3 percent of the state's 750,000 high school athletes each year – all in a search for the estimated 2 percent of Texas students believed to use steroids. The short history of steroid testing in public schools has yielded little, if anything. In the handful of local school districts that already test for steroids, no positive test has been reported. The same is true for limited state programs in Florida and New Jersey. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Lloyd Johnston, a noted researcher at the University of Michigan. "My guess is that the payoff relative to the cost won't be high." Some critics also question the state's policy decision to go after steroids when the use of other illegal drugs, including marijuana, heroin and prescription drugs, is far more common among teenagers. The state's steroid tests will cost up to $140 each, compared with $15 for most other drug tests. But state lawmakers who championed the drive to test up to 50,000 athletes over the next two years say catching users wasn't their main goal. They hope the state's investment pays off as a powerful deterrent. "The momentum is there," said state Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, Senate sponsor of the steroids bill that passed last year. "With all the attention to the professional athletes and steroids use, it's out there for everyone to see. It won't be tolerated." FILE 2005 / DMN Texas steroid tests for high school athletes will cost up to $140 each, nearly 10 times as much as other drug tests. Perhaps more important, Mr. Janek said, is that the testing program opens conversations about drug use. "If a coach or an athletic director has some concerns, they can start asking those tough questions. ... That's something." Taking it seriously In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court broadened the authority of public schools, allowing drug testing for students who participate in competitive extracurricular activities. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said he took a personal interest in a statewide steroid testing program when he decided to make protecting children a priority of his re-election campaign in 2006. By then, Don Hooton, a Plano father whose son committed suicide in 2003 after using steroids, had begun traveling the country to urge lawmakers to mandate steroid testing. In 2005, The Dallas Morning News published a special report describing steroid use among North Texas teens and the easy availability of the drug. Mr. Dewhurst, the leader of the Senate, called on legislators to create a statewide drug testing program. "In Texas, we take high school athletic programs seriously. We need to protect them," he said last week. State lawmakers approved the plan last summer and called for the University Interscholastic League to run the sweeping program. The organization, which regulates sports and other activities in high schools, developed the sanctions and penalties for athletes and schools found to violate the rules. The National Center for Drug Free Sport was hired to handle the testing. The program aims to reach one-third of the state's school districts. High schools will be chosen at random and notified 48 hours before testing begins. The company will then randomly select students for testing and screening and report the results back to the schools. Statistically, when only 3 percent of the state's athletes are tested each year, there's a small probability of getting selected. There's an even smaller chance of getting caught while using an illegal substance during the time the test is administered. But officials in some school districts that already test for steroids say the chance of getting caught is not worth the risk for most students. Frisco ISD officials spent $23,000 last year randomly testing 928 athletes for illegal drugs. Far fewer vials were screened for steroids, but students don't know which or how many samples will be chosen for screening. "Everyone knows the retribution if you are caught with steroids. When you know there's a chance you can get called in for steroids testing, you probably won't do it," said Gavin Gray, a junior who was Frisco High School's starting quarterback last year. Few studies Most North Texas school districts don't test students for drugs. An informal survey revealed that about 20 districts among dozens in North Texas do any sort of drug testing. Only seven screen some students for steroids. The Lewisville school district most recently approved a new random student drug-testing program but chose to target other drugs over steroids. There have only been a handful of nationwide research studies about whether student drug testing of any kind works. Linn Goldberg, a national drug-testing expert and the head of the division of health promotion and sports medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, said "drug testing, as yet, is not a deterrent to use. There's no evidence that it is." He called the Texas steroids program "a knee-jerk reflex so they can say they're doing something." Dr. Goldberg's study and another done in 2003 at the University of Michigan showed that drug testing did not have a significant effect on whether students continued to use drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that a larger study would be necessary before any conclusions can be drawn. The institute advocates drug testing as part of a larger initiative that also includes education, prevention, intervention and treatment programs. Dr. Goldberg said he's concerned about the push among states focusing only on testing. Florida began testing 1 percent of high school athletes last fall in football, baseball and weightlifting under a one-year, $100,000 pilot program. New Jersey started a statewide testing policy for high school athletes last year. Neither of these programs has resulted in a positive test. The Illinois High School Association voted this month to begin random testing of athletes next school year. Dr. Goldberg maintains that drug education, not testing, is the best use of state tax dollars. Cliff Odenwald, a former Plano ISD athletics director who will run the UIL's testing program, said the ideal formula is a combination of education and drug testing. "You're fighting the same crusade," he said. He said the UIL works to educate athletes, parents and coaches about the dangers of steroids. Many players are required to watch a UIL anti-steroids video. J. Allen Stigler, a football player at North Garland High School, said the video works. "Me and a couple of friends got a little worried about it after we watched it," he said. "One thing that really scared me is your muscles get too strong for your tendons and then your muscles rip out your tendons. "That can take you out of football for life, and football is my life." Staff writers David Hinojosa and Keith Whitmire contributed to this report. UIL TESTING THE LAW Senate Bill 8, signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry in June, mandates steroid testing of high school athletes in grades 9-12. About 400 high schools will be selected randomly for testing. The UIL expects to test 40,000 to 50,000 athletes over two years. PUNISHMENT Athletes who test positive will be suspended from competition for 30 school days for the first offense. A negative result on an exit test is required for their eligibility to be restored. A second positive test will result in a one-year suspension, and a third will bar the student
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