New Jersey Tests High School Students For Steroids

February 18, 2007

New Jersey's first batch of tests for steroid abuse among high schoolers have come back negative.
Not a single athlete among 150 tested showed signs of steroid use.
New Jersey became the first state in the country to randomly test high school athletes for performance-enhancing drugs this fall.
About 500 athletes from various sports will be tested at random during tournaments each year. The 100,000 dollar cost will be split between the state scholastic association and the Department of Education.
About two percent of high schoolers across the country use steroids before graduating.
Bill Baly of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association says the 175 dollars per test is money well-spend even if no students test positive. That's because the test serves as a deterrent, he says.