Athletes, Band Members Subject To Steroid Tests

April 3, 2006

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools to start random steroids testing Monday.

Kernersville, NC -- Monday brings new random steroids testing for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School District.

Corey Pate graduated from high school three years ago. He played football, basketball and ran track. He says the pressure of winning got to several star athletes, including himself.

"A lot of people didn't jump weights the way they wanted to, so they used performance enhancing drugs," Pate says. "I wouldn't say harsh steroids like needles, but the pills and the powders and shakes that do make a difference."

Starting Monday, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County students in all extra-curricular activities, not just athletics, will be subject to random steroid testing. That's in addition to drug testing already underway.

Margie Hodgin and her 11-year-old son already have talks about steroids in sports. Especially since one of her son's favorite players is Barry Bonds, a main target in Major League Baseball's steroids scandal.

"If you're gonna take the steps to be on a team or participate in sports, you're just going to have to play by the rules and that might be a good rule to have," Hodgin says.

But back on the hardcourt, Corey Pate worries that others might get a leg up on the competition.

"The neighboring counties, they won't do the testing also," Pate says. "They will have an advantage as far as performance enhancing, because they'll be bigger and stronger and faster."

As for penalties, no student will be suspended or expelled if they fail the test. They can enter a treatment program and actually rejoin the team or club if they finish that program.

Below is a list of steroids that the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System will test for. All of the text below is directly from Police 5131.6:

The term `anabolic steroid' means any drug or hormonal substance, chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids, and dehydroepiandrosterone), and includes:

1. Androstanediol
2. Androstanedione
3. Androstenediol
4. Androstenedione
5. Bolasterone
6. Boldenone
7. Calusterone
8. Clostebol
9. Chydrochloromethyltestosterone
10. *1-Dihydrotestosterone
11. 4-Dihydrotestosterone
12. Drostanolone
13. Ethylestrenol
14. Fluoxymesterone
15. Formebolone
16. Furazabol
17. 13a-ethyl-17a-hydroxygon-4-en-3-one
18. 4-hydroxytestosterone
19. 4-hydroxy-19-nortestosterone
20. Mestanolone
21. Mesterolone
22. Methandienone
23. Methandriol
24. Methenolone
25. Methyltestosterone
26. Mibolerone
27. 17a-methyl-*1-dihydrotestosterone
28. Nandrolone
29. Norandrostenediol
30. Norandrostenedione
31. Norbolethone
32. Norclostebol
33. Norethandrolone
34. Oxandrolone
35. Oxymesterone
36. Oxymetholone
37. Stanozolol
38. Stenbolone
39. Testolactone
40. Testosterone
41. Tetrahydrogestrinone
42. Trenbolone and
43. Any salt, ester, or ether of a drug or substance described in this paragraph.