Athlete Drug Testing Kits & Drug Abuse
Random Drug Testing is needed
High school football coaches will have a new responsibility as they conduct two-a-day practices in sweltering heat next summer.
As in past years, they'll make sure their players are staying hydrated, eating pasta and getting plenty of rest.
They'll also have to make sure their players aren't taking steroids.
Under orders from the General Assembly, the Virginia High School League will implement a new policy in July that bans athletes who use steroids from competing for two years. Coaches and school administrators are responsible for determining if an athlete is using steroids.
Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William, introduced the new legislation, which led to Virginia being one of only 10 states to have a steroid policy for high school athletes.
Now Marshall wants to go further. He wants schools to become involved. He wants coaches to be more knowledgeable. He wants the VHSL to expand its efforts to include drug testing for athletes and bans on some dietary supplements.
"This is not the end of this," Marshall said. "This is just the opening effort. I want to see what the VHSL does. I'll be looking."
As the steroid issue gathers force in the wake of recent policies in pro sports, will Virginia high school administrators heighten efforts to educate and protect their athletes?
Some states are already taking such steps. Several are considering bills that would require schools to educate athletes about supplements and steroids. Others are looking at mandatory testing.
The VHSL admits it hasn't been completely successful in addressing the issue so far. Area football coaches admit they should know more about steroids and supplements.
But all parties in Virginia agree this is no time to point fingers.
They want to clear hurdles that could prevent this and future steroid and supplement policies from being successful.
They want to figure out if drug testing is the answer.
They want to educate athletes about the NCAA's banned substances, so if the athletes go on to play college sports, they won't be blind-sided by unfamiliar guidelines.
They want their players to be safe.
Support builds for testing
In 2003, the General Assembly authorized the Board of Education to develop drug-testing guidelines for local school boards.
But no Fredericksburg-area school district currently tests athletes for drug use.
The Virginia High School League has no statewide testing policy, either, and VHSL President Ken Tilley says there are no plans to implement one.
Without a testing policy, many area coaches worry this will make it difficult to enforce the new state steroid guideline. The coaches are concerned because, according to state law, a school official who fails to report steroid use to the superintendent can lose his or her teaching license.
Eventually, drug testing could find its way into area school systems.
"I've always kind of liked the idea of drug testing," Washington & Lee coach Malcolm Lewis said. "You do a random draw. I really would like to do that."
In a Free Lance-Star survey of 259 area football players, 49 percent supported a random drug-testing program for athletes.
Ultimately, the decision on whether to test rests with individual school districts.
Donald Alvey, director of secondary schools in Spotsylvania County, says the county has discussed drug testing, but has gone no further. (continues below...)
Most Popular Drug Testing Kits
|
Caroline football coach Robert Jenkins, who also is a member of the Culpeper County School Board, says he's put drug testing on the agenda at several Culpeper board meetings, but hasn't received the support needed to call for a vote.
There is some precedent on testing in Virginia, but not for steroids.
In 1990, the Lynchburg City School District became the first in the state to have a drug-testing policy for athletes. The athletes are tested at their preseason physicals, and then are subject to random screenings throughout the year. But the tests do not screen for steroids.
Three years ago, Mathews County schools considered an incentive-based drug-testing program that would reward students who volunteered to be tested randomly. But the project fizzled because of costs and concerns that it would discriminate against students who didn't volunteer.
In Fairfax County, if a school official suspects an athlete is using any drug, the student can take a voluntary drug test to prove his or her innocence.
In January, George Jenkins High School in Polk County, Fla., became the first to conduct steroid testing on its athletes. The testing program, funded by a federal grant, was considered such a success that the Florida legislature is considering expanding it statewide.
Other states that are considering steroid tests for athletes include New Mexico, New York, Connecticut and Texas.
Some Fredericksburg-area school officials say testing for steroids would all but break their athletic budgets.
Simple tests for stimulants and street drugs cost about $20 each. A test that scans for common steroids costs closer to $50, and an all-inclusive test is about $125.
Marshall, the state legislator, would like schools to use some revenue from home football games to buy tests.
"If we took one football gate right now," Alvey countered, "that might mean that some other sport does not have uniforms."
Several area players and coaches expressed concerns about the legality of testing. But in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that students who participate in school sports forfeit their right to privacy, and are therefore subject to drug testing. Five years later, the ruling was expanded to include all extracurricular activities.
Meshing with NCAA policy
The Virginia High School League will never have the money and resources that the National Collegiate Athletic Association does. But slowly, VHSL policies could veer toward the NCAA's.
Mainly, the high school league could adopt a list of banned substances that mirrors that of the NCAA. The collegiate list includes 34 stimulants, 27 anabolic agents, 18 diuretics, three street drugs and five growth hormones.
Sixty-one percent of the area players surveyed by The Free Lance-Star said they didn't know the NCAA screens for some over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
None of the 10 area coaches interviewed for this story were familiar with the NCAA's banned-substance list. None have distributed the list to their players.
As it stands, a Virginia high school athlete could take a legal over-the-counter supplement as a senior, then enroll in college and test positive in the NCAA's screening. This could result in a one-year suspension.
Sometimes the students are caught off guard when they arrive on campus as wide-eyed freshmen.
"A lot of them are still naive enough to 'fess up and say 'Yes, I'm on this,'" said Michael Sampson, an athletic trainer at Virginia Tech. "There are a few who are going to lie about it, but that comes out in a urine test."
The testosterone-producing hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA, can be purchased at nutrition stores, and is banned by the NCAA. Synephrine, a stimulant, is found in supplements containing bitter orange, and also is banned.
Last January, the federal government added androdstenedione, or "andro," to its list of anabolic steroids, making it illegal. But since the drug could legally be purchased last year, current high school athletes might still be taking it.
Other banned substances could be in random products, as well. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate nutritional supplements, so the manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients in their products.
"If all you're hearing is from the salesperson that's selling the substances, you're not getting the full story," said Kay Hawes, spokeswoman for National Drug Free Sport, the company that administers the NCAA's drug tests. "You could look at the label and check for banned substances, and then test positive for something."
Last month, California legislators banned high school athletes from using synephrine, DHEA and ephedra--making the state the first to take such action. Michigan is also looking at a ban on steroids and supplements.
So far, there's been no such push on supplements in Virginia, but Marshall says he'll consider sponsoring legislation to address them.
Steroid education
This past summer, the National Federation of State High School Associations produced a steroid information packet that was sold to state high school associations across the country. It includes a DVD, posters and brochures meant to educate both students and parents.
Federation Assistant Director Jerry Diehl said the VHSL was not one of the initial 37 members to purchase the packet. But the VHSL eventually bought the materials and late last month mailed them to its member schools.
"Rather than send something to the schools that might end up stuck on someone's desk, we wanted to prepare our schools to make sure they know what's coming before we provide it," VHSL Executive Director Ken Tilley said.
Texas and Illinois require schools to provide steroid instruction for all athletes. But in Virginia, each school can decide how to use the information the VHSL sent.
The VHSL suggested the DVD be shown at schoolwide assemblies. But that is not an option in Spotsylvania, Alvey says, because students cannot afford to miss class time needed to ensure they score well on Standards of Learning tests.
"Not to say that this isn't important," he said, "but where do we draw the line about making sure we're fully accredited and reacting to all of this issues like this that society sends us?"
Liberty High Athletic Director Jerry Carter said he might make the DVD required viewing for all athletes. Some schools, like Mountain View and Stafford, showed the DVD at parent-athlete information nights earlier this month.
Brooke Point football coach Jeff Berry likes the idea of targeting the message to players. He would like the high school league to go a step further.
"Every year, the VHSL makes officials come in and talk to each team about rules changes, and the kids pay attention," Berry said. "If they're doing that, I don't see why they can't bring in some type of nutritionist."
The future
There's a sense that while steroid and supplement use is an important issue, it has lacked a certain tangibility.
No area high school athletes have been caught possessing steroids. No coaches interviewed for this report believe their players take steroids. None see supplements as a major problem on his team.
But Marshall and others don't want to wait for a syringe to be found in a locker or for a player to admit using steroids. They hope by developing a policy now, the VHSL will head off future problems and lay the groundwork for more education aimed at prevention.
Coaches hope the new policy will be more deterrent than catch-net. They want players who want to get stronger, win games and impress college scouts.
But they want them to do it the right way. Most of those involved with high school sports were once athletes themselves. They know there's much more at stake than the outcome of a football game.
"Some kids think they're going to live forever and don't understand they're likely in it for the short-term gratification and results, said Dr. Raymond Greaser of Fredericksburg, a former James Monroe High School standout who provides physicals for many area athletes.
"They don't understand they have a more important life after sports."
Source: Fredericksburg.com - Fredericksburg,VA,USA
Sales Price:
$10.95
Sales Price:
$17.80
Sales Price:
$59.95
For Parents
- Most Popular Drug Testing Kits
FAST, ACCURATE,
AFFORDABLE, CONFIDENTIAL
iCup - Multi Drug 5 Panel Urine Drug Test Kit
(tests for COC,THC,OPI,AMP,METH)
Saliva Multi Drug Screen Test 6
(AMP/ MAMP/ COC/ OPI/ THC/ PCP)
PDT-90 Confidential Drug Hair Testing Kit
(tests for Marijuana, MDMA, Cocaine, Opiates, mAMP, PCP)
At TestCountry.com we offer a
wide variety of FAST, ACCURATE,
AFFORDABLE, and CONFIDENTIAL
home drug testing kits and
employee drug testing kits that can be used to test a wide
range of frequently abused drugs
at the ease, comfort, and privacy of your home or office.
Click here
to see the full list of
drug testing kits
Related Links:
Drug Testing Kits at TestCountry.com - Test everything Store - From drug tests to fertility, affordable easy to use home test kits Store
Student Drug Abuse & Home Drug Testing Kits Resources
Saliva Drug Testing Kits
Teen Drug Treatment Resources
Drug Abuse & Random Drug Testing Kits
Google Drug Addiction & Marijuana Home Test Kits Directory
Yahoo Substance Abuse Directory
Dmoz Drugs and Substance Abuse Directory
Msn Children Drug Abuse Directory
