Dewhurst turns up heat on high school steroid testing, By: Jimmy Galvan
If Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has his way, there will be a mandatory random testing program in public schools for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in the near future.
For Jasper Independent School District athletic trainer Joe Guthrie, the plan will have long-lasting benefits.
"I agree whole-heartedly with random drug testing for student-athletes," Guthrie said.
He said that this year, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) created a form that student-athletes were required to sign stating they would refrain from using any type of steroids or performance enhancing drugs.
"They had to fill out this form for us, and did that really keep them from using steroids. Probably not," Guthrie said. "Whoever is going to do them, is going to do them. But this would be the next step."
In the past years, the UIL has fought drug testing of high school athletes believing the issue should be treated as a local issue for each school district.
Texas had 733,026 students participate in public school sports during the 2005-06 school year, more than any other state.
Some Texas schools are already testing their athletes. Of the more than 1,300 member schools, a UIL survey in 2005 found that 53 schools tested athletes for steroids. According to a UIL spokesperson, that number grew to 127 in 2006.
Another issue is costs for local school districts to perform the tests. Texas lawmakers began the current legislative session with $14.3 billion budget surplus for the next two years. A random sampling of 30,000 students at $200 each would cost about $6 million.
"This kind of testing will save lives in the long run," Guthrie said. "We don't know all the side effects steroid use causes."
He added that the tests would also act as a deterrent to illegal drug activity among the athletes in the high school.
"The tests would give the kids an opportunity to turn away from the peer pressure - this would be an excuse for them," Guthrie said. "It's an easy out for them."
He said he envisions a day when all high school athletics will face random drug testing.
"We don't need to just gear the testing towards football," Guthrie said. "Everybody thinks this is just a football problem, but it's not."
Guthrie said he doesn't believe this area has been affected by steroid use as of yet.
"I haven't come across anyone that I would even suspect of using around here," Guthrie said.
He admitted that some athletes have come to him with over-the-counter supplements that they wanted to use, but Guthrie said he quickly dismisses their thoughts on it.
"Anytime they bring in any kind of supplement like that in, I tell them they don't need to take it at all," Guthrie said. "I advise them that all they need is a wellrounded diet. Those supplements can cause problems and there are no long-term studies on them at all."
