Missouri school district to begin steroid testing

[sicem74]

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A large suburban St. Louis school district will begin voluntary testing of athletes for performance-enhancing drugs in the 2005-06 school year, a move the superintendent hopes will send a message to stay away from steroids.

The Fort Zumwalt School District board in St. Charles County approved the program at a meeting Monday. In addition to performance-enhancing drugs, athletes, cheerleaders and pom pom squad members could be tested for illegal drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamine and PCP.

The district, with 18,500 students the state's seventh-largest, had a drug-testing program in place from 1997 until two years ago, when it was dropped due to budget constraints. But the previous program did not include steroid testing, superintendent Bernard DuBray said.

"It's not a situation where we feel we've got a lot of abuse, but it is obviously going on in pro sports and we felt it would send a good message, not only on street drugs but on performance-enhancing drugs," DuBray said.

The new policy was prompted in part by this year's spate of news about major-league athletes using or allegedly using steroids. In March, former Cardinals star Mark McGwire was among several baseball players called before Congress to discuss steroid abuse in baseball.

"Kids are impressed by those people, their wealth, their fame," DuBray said. "Kids sometimes make bad choices. They see this as part of the major leagues, they think they might try it themselves."

A study indicated that steroid use among high school students more than doubled from 1991 to 2003. More than 6 percent of 2003 students questioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged trying steroid pills or shots at least once.

Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Texas are among states where lawmakers are considering laws and policies to stop steroid use among high school athletes. A bill before lawmakers in Florida would create the nation's first statewide testing program for prep athletes.

Less than 4 percent of the nation's high schools test students for steroids, according to a 2003 survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Fort Zumwalt may be the only district in Missouri testing for performance-enhancing drugs.

Rick Kindhart, spokesman for Missouri State High School Activities Association in Columbia, said the organization is not aware of any other districts that test specifically for steroids, which is more elaborate and costly than other drug testing.

"They're the front-runners," he said.

But an association survey of member schools last year showed 12 percent were doing some kind of drug testing.

The Fort Zumwalt drug-testing program is not mandatory, though DuBray expects about three-fourths of athletes to participate. Under the program, first-time offenders will be put into counseling and will not face disciplinary action.

Second-time offenders will be suspended for the remainder of the sports season. For those who do not participate in the voluntary program, a first offense will result in suspension, DuBray said.

The program calls for random testing of five students from each of the district's three high schools each week. Three of the 15 samples will be sent to a testing lab in California.

DuBray said the district also plans to expand educational efforts to keep athletes away from performance-enhancing drugs.


SHOULD IT BE IN TEXAS

[mwynn05]

There are much worse problems in high schools than steroids and we need to testfor them first, and steroid tests are expensive. I believe i read in a paper or something they were like $100 a piece, but I could deffinatly be wrong

[wildstangs]

If the students aren't using, then they have nothing to worry about.

[sicem74]

thats is true but 100 dollars can save this 1 person life u ever thought about that

[AP Panther Fan]

I think this is great...however, I don't necessarily care for the way it is structured. Random testing is good, but it seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot by not making it mandatory for all participants in extra-curricular activities.

[Bandera YaYa]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
I think this is great...however, I don't necessarily care for the way it is structured. Random testing is good, but it seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot by not making it mandatory for all participants in extra-curricular activities.

i agree.....this random testing thing is just another way for the users to keep cheating....addicts can always find a way around it.....

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by Bandera YaYa
...addicts can always find a way around it.....

true, in the case of this school district, participation in the program isn't even mandatory...SO, say they have 75% participation in the program and 25% that say no, but I am still going to participate in extra-curricular activities ... what the heck have they really accomplished?

Don't get me wrong, it is a step in the right direction, but a baby-step at best.

[mwynn05]

Originally posted by sicem74
thats is true but 100 dollars can save this 1 person life u ever thought about that

Alcohol and marijuana are worse problems in teenagers. I bet if you take half the numer of teens who die from alcohol or marijuana related incidents that it is double or triple that of steroid related deaths

[BullFrog Dad]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
true, in the case of this school district, participation in the program isn't even mandatory...SO, say they have 75% participation in the program and 25% that say no, but I am still going to participate in extra-curricular activities ... what the heck have they really accomplished?

Don't get me wrong, it is a step in the right direction, but a baby-step at best.

We're talking a micro-babystep. I pulled up their district website and one HS has 2000 students, another 1000, and couldn't find enrollment on the third. At 15 samples taken a week with only three tested your odds of getting caught are practically zilch. If you are guilty just decline the test. This sounds more like a lame PR move.

[Bell_06]

There was a long discussion August 2003... the thread was started by Buccaneer on 08-23-03

"Buccaneer
Junior Varsity
DOES YOUR SCHOOL DRUG TEST ?
Sinton started this year. First day of football practice they tested ALL students who participated in an extracurricular activity(FFA,Band,all sports etc.) They tested for alcohol,marijuana,nicotine and cocaine."

I do not know how to link a closed thread to a current thread, but if you would like to see what some of the school are doing and what they are not doing it might be worth running a search on that 8-23 discussion.