When former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco alleged in his book, Juiced, that big-name sluggers used steroids to crush the ball and catapult their careers into the record books, Congress wasn’t the only group to take his charges seriously. Canseco’s allegations, combined with previous news of steroid use at the Olympic and college levels, have some North Carolina educators wondering if steroids have infiltrated high school athletics and if they should be included in random drug-testing programs already conducted by some districts.
The state has no official policy on student drug testing and leaves that decision to local education agencies, according to Kymm Ballard, consultant, P.E. & Athletics/Sports Medicine K-12 for the Department of Public Instruction. Neither does the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, the organization that governs interscholastic athletics for 354 member schools. Mark Dreibelbis, assistant executive director for NCHSAA, said his group has only anecdotal knowledge of which school districts conduct random drug tests. He’s also not aware of any organization that keeps track of which ones do, and which ones don’t.
For Dreibelbis, the impact of Canseco’s allegations was swift. Since Canseco testified before Congress in March, districts around the state have contacted Dreibelbis for information and guidance about addressing steroid use. He has plenty to offer them. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance for 2003, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, revealed that among North Carolina’s ninth- through 12th graders, 6.4 percent of males and 4 percent of females reported taking steroid pills or shots without a doctor’s prescription once or more during their lifetimes. Nationally, 6.8 percent of males and 5.3 percent of females reported that behavior.
“We think those numbers are awfully high and that’s why we’ve become very interested in this,” said Dreibelbis. He’s been conducting workshops and, in April, served on a drug testing and education panel for Haywood County school board members, administrators, and coaches. Officials there are mulling over a drug-testing policy that would screen high school athletes and those students involved in competitive extra-curricular activities.
“It’s not an indication we have a problem that’s worse than anyone else. It’s just something that is unfortunately out there [in society],” said Steve Williams, director of student services for Haywood County Schools. Testing specifically for steroids has been discussed, along with other drugs and alcohol. If the school board decides to move forward, the program probably would resemble the one used in Forsyth County, Williams said.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools began random drug testing more than five years ago. About half of its high school students take part in optional activities such as sports, band, and drama, which are covered by the program. The goal, according to the system’s general counsel, Doug Punger, is to test 33 percent of eligible students during the school year. Computer software randomly selects teens from the pool, which continually changes as kids move in and out of sports and clubs.
The test screens for alcohol and five drugs: marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, barbiturates, and opiates. Results for the 2003-2004 year indicate that 97.1 percent tested negative, while 2.9 percent (34 kids) tested positive. Punger said that among the positive tests, the “current drug of choice” is marijuana. Following Canseco’s congressional appearance, Punger and his colleagues discussed adding steroids, but the estimated additional cost of $50 to $60 per test was deemed prohibitive. For now, educators are considering bringing in speakers to discuss the issue with students.
That’s an approach Dreibelbis welcomes, but he cautioned that communication must be candid and acknowledge what today’s savvy students realize: Steroids do enhance an athlete’s performance. To blunt their appeal, Dreibelbis recommends speakers emphasize the disturbing short-term consequences that also materialize. Body-conscious teens, he said, need to understand the damage steroids can do at the time they’re used, not just later in life. In males, for example, steroids can create fatty breast tissue, shrink testicles, and impair sexual function. In females, facial hair can grow, breasts shrink, and the voice may deepen. Severe acne and aggressive behavior can plague either sex. “These are the things that get young people’s attention,” Dreibelbis said.
In Ashe County, Athletic Director Marc Payne acknowledged it might be time for his school system to consider adding steroids to its testing program, yet he’s hopeful the negative publicity will help reduce their use. For now, Payne is focusing on curbing use of over-the-counter supplements such as protein shakes and creatine. If he finds a student is using one, Payne calls the parents and counsels against it, instead stressing hard work and weightlifting to improve performance. “There’s no genie in a bottle for an athlete,” he said.
Donna Martinez is associate editor of Carolinal Journal.