The whole idea of starting to test high school students isn't a "gotcha program" , it is to help save our youth from bad habits and teaching them good morals. By starting, or continuing this program, it will lower the amount of teenage lives lost physically and mentally to innocent teenagers just trying to "Buff Up" to impress peers. I know schools that don’t test for steroids do test athletes for other drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. The tests for so-called recreational drugs are relatively inexpensive, but if you’re going to test for drugs that don’t enhance performance, you’re just playing to the bleachers: “Look, we’re testing the athletes for drugs.” But you’re not testing them for the drugs that matter in this regard, the ones that equate with cheating. You can lecture kids all you want about the dangers of steroids, about the incredible shrinking testicles and acne blooms and possible liver damage down the road. There are always going to be some, just as there are some athletes at every stage of competition, who are willing to take the risks if they can see a clear reward. By just by putting a little more income into steroid tests that really make a dramatic difference we can save those that really think steroids are going to bring them the huge reward they expected. If we do not start testing now the number of high school athletes using steroids will just keep increasing drastically because they know they will get away with it. THE CHANGE NEEDS TO START NOW!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Money Money Money
Now I bet yall are all saying ok we know a way to solve this issue so why don’t we just go ahead a start random drug testing, well the issue is money. Many states including Florida have had to get rid of the random drug testing $100,000 program because it simply costs to
o much. Other states including Texas, California, and Illinois and still holding on strong are still testing their high school athletes. I know that economy these days doesn’t have much slack on money today and most school board members and teachers want our society's money to go into the classrooms and not into random drug testing but this program is worth it if we want to be successful in abolishing this problem. People are saying that very few athletes get caught but the reason that very few are being caught is because athletes are stopping use when they know they are going to be tested because they are afraid of the consequences and the actions that will be taken against them if they happened to get caught using steroids. Drug testing randomly will simply stop athletes from hiding their use and will catch more athletes who are using the drug. Basically like Mike Celizic says, "The Olympics tests for steroids and every other performance-enhancing drug. Pro sports leagues test. Colleges test. High schools, with just a few exceptions, don’t test. And if you don’t test for steroids, you are telling kids to go ahead and use them, because they won’t get caught." But with random drug testing them most defiantly will and learn from this lesson by either higher authority of by the side effects steroids bring.
o much. Other states including Texas, California, and Illinois and still holding on strong are still testing their high school athletes. I know that economy these days doesn’t have much slack on money today and most school board members and teachers want our society's money to go into the classrooms and not into random drug testing but this program is worth it if we want to be successful in abolishing this problem. People are saying that very few athletes get caught but the reason that very few are being caught is because athletes are stopping use when they know they are going to be tested because they are afraid of the consequences and the actions that will be taken against them if they happened to get caught using steroids. Drug testing randomly will simply stop athletes from hiding their use and will catch more athletes who are using the drug. Basically like Mike Celizic says, "The Olympics tests for steroids and every other performance-enhancing drug. Pro sports leagues test. Colleges test. High schools, with just a few exceptions, don’t test. And if you don’t test for steroids, you are telling kids to go ahead and use them, because they won’t get caught." But with random drug testing them most defiantly will and learn from this lesson by either higher authority of by the side effects steroids bring.
How the Process Works
Hey it’s been awhile things have been pretty hectic around here but I’m going to make up for it right now with this post. When I left off I was talking about how the major solution to this problem was to start random drug testing in high school sports. Now for many of you that have heard of the term random drug testing you probably think it’s just peeing in a cup and waiting for the results. But in fact it is a very intense and strict process with many rules. Before an athlete is tested they have to be notified by an official to sign a consent form basically saying that they have been notified. The athlete must have there test done with in a designated period so they can't cover up their drug use. Many of the tests are done in a mobile testing unit or kindah like a portable restroom but they try to make it as comfortable as they can with supplying plenty of drinks. To make sure the test is accurate an official must watch the urine flow from the athlete to the bottle. Male athletes are asked to strip to their waist and lower their shorts to their knees. Female athletes must be watched very closely while they void a sample. Of course this situation is going to be a little embarrassing but it is the only way to make sure the tests are not tampered with. If the athlete tests positive for steroid use then they have the right to ask for a second test to be done to make sure the results were correct. If the results are still positive then the head official of the sport will notify the athlete and the end result is usually suspension.
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