Pubdate: Sun, 08 Oct 2006
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Copyright: 2006 The Sun-Times Co.
Contact:  http://www.suntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81
Author: Taylor Bell

IHSA DRUG TESTS LIKELY NEXT YEAR

Before you can begin to solve a problem,  you must admit you have 
one. And it is clear that, this  side of New Jersey, most high school 
administrators,  coaches and other observers of the drug culture 
are  convinced steroids aren't a significant danger in today's society.

But the Illinois High School Association is taking a  bold approach 
to the controversial issue of drug  testing. In 2007-08, if approved, 
the IHSA will  randomly test boys and girls during the state finals 
of five sports -- football, basketball, swimming,  wrestling and track.

"We have a problem with supplements and steroids. It  is a health 
issue as much as a competition issue,"  said Kurt Gibson, an 
assistant executive director of  the IHSA.

"There is no doubt as we get deeper into what our plan  might look 
like, our board must answer the same kinds  of questions as New 
Jersey. We are at a point where we  can no longer assume it isn't 
happening here or just  California or New Jersey, but everywhere."

New Jersey is the only state that has adopted a  mandatory random 
testing program for steroids. In fact,  it is the only state that has 
adopted a drug testing  program of any kind. Implemented for the 
2006-07  academic year, the $50,000 program [paid by the 
state]  calls for testing during championship events and a  one-year 
ban from competition for anyone who tests  positive.

After a U.S. Department of Health survey in 2003  revealed, on a 
national average, that 3 percent of all  high school students -- or 
13 students in each Illinois  high school -- had used steroids, the 
IHSA's board of  directors authorized executive director Marty 
Hickman and his staff to begin working on a plan to educate and  test 
student-athletes.

"When you can put a face on a problem, it makes you  take notice," 
Gibson said. "We are on the first step  in developing a program, 
creating a banned substance  list. But as much as I think there is a 
steroid issue,  I also feel we must deal with supplements that kids 
are  taking."

Supplements an issue, too Nearly 75 high schools in  Illinois have 
adopted drug testing programs, some for  athletes only, some for all 
students, none for  steroids. Curiously, only a handful are in the 
Chicago  area, including Homewood-Flossmoor, which was the first 
school in the state to begin testing in 1989, Niles  West, Antioch, 
Luther North and Illiana Christian.

The IHSA is more concerned about supplements. Gibson  said the IHSA 
receives two to three dozen calls a year  from parents, athletes and 
schools inquiring about  supplements. Which ones are banned? Which 
ones are  legal?

"Our sports medicine advisory committee is telling us  what they can 
do to make athletes make better  choices," Gibson said. "We have put 
together  education units on our Web site [IHSA.org], power-point 
presentations that deal with the effects of steroids  and supplements.

"There needs to be more in our tool bag that we give  schools other 
than a testing program. We must increase  people's awareness and 
knowledge. Then, hopefully, they  will make the right choices."

The National Federation of State High School  Associations is 
concerned about drugs and steroids but,  at this point, Bob Gardner, 
chief operating officer of  the NFSHSA, believes education is "the 
correct way to  go" to make parents and athletes aware of the problem.

This flies in the race of an American Medical  Association report in 
2003 that stated youth steroid  use was on the rise, increasing from 
2.1 percent of  high school seniors in 1991 to 4 percent in 2002. And 
research by The Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention that 
reported 4 percent of high school  students in 2005 had used steroids.

"There is no conclusive evidence that [steroids] is a  major 
problem," Gardner said. "Testing is a  deterrent. It doesn't end the 
problem. But it gives  athletes one more reason to say: 'I can't get 
involved  in this or I could be tested and lose my opportunity to 
play.' Steroids is a problem but we first must go  through an 
educational process."

A costly proposition In Illinois, Homewood-Flossmoor  has been 
testing for 18 years. H-F tests 20 athletes  twice a month for 
alcohol, marijuana, pills and drugs  of choice.

Athletic director Joe Skowronski said the program has  been 
successful but he claims he doesn't see a steroid  problem. "It isn't 
as big a problem [in high schools]  as it is in college," he said. 
"We are being  proactive. We are trying to help. We're not trying 
to  hurt kids. If an athlete tests positive for drugs, he  or she 
must mandatorily get help. If they don't get  help, they are 
suspended until they do. Athletes know  [the test] is a deterrent."

Why not test for steroids? It costs $35 for a urine  test but $175 
for a steroid test. "I don't know of any  school that will go to 
steroid testing because of the  cost. And there are so many masking 
agents to prevent  detection," said Rock Falls athletic director Rich 
Montgomery, whose school began testing in 1990.

Montgomery thinks the Rock Falls program is working.  After a series 
of meetings with townspeople and  coaches, school officials conceded 
there was evidence  of drug abuse that needed to be addressed. In 
2005-06,  of 277 athletes who were randomly tested, eight tested  positive.

Collinsville adopted a drug testing program this year.  Modeled after 
the Rock Falls program, it will test four  athletes a week, four 
times a season.

"We feel all athletes must partake in it or they can't  be on an 
athletic team," said athletic director Bob  Hollingshead.

"We are like any other community. Drugs are available.  We want our 
kids to have another way to fight peer  pressure. We want to hold 
them to a higher standard. We  wanted to have a way for our kids to 
think about the  [risks] and say no to drugs. The main thing is if a 
kid has a problem, we want to educate him and get him  help."

A STEROIDS PRIMER SIDE EFFECTS

Can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high  blood pressure, 
kidney tumors, severe acne, and  trembling.• In males, side 
effects may include  shrinking of the testicles and breast 
development. In  females, side effects may include growth of facial 
hair, menstrual changes, and deepened voice. In  teenagers, growth 
may be halted prematurely and  permanently.

steroidabuse.org

ADDICTIVE?

It is possible that some steroid abusers may become  addicted to the 
drugs, as evidenced by their continuing  to take steroids in spite of 
physical problems,  negative effects on social relations, or 
nervousness  and irritability. Also, they spend large amounts 
of  time and money obtaining the drugs and experience  withdrawal 
symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue,  restlessness, loss of 
appetite, insomnia, reduced sex  drive, and the desire to take more 
steroids. The most dangerous of the withdrawal symptoms is 
depression,  because it sometimes leads to suicide 
attempts.  Untreated, some depressive symptoms associated 
with  anabolic steroid withdrawal have been known to persist  for a 
year or more after the abuser stops taking the  drugs.

teens.drugabuse.gov

TO ENCOURAGE YOUTHS TO AVOID STEROID ABUSE

Present a balanced picture of what these drugs can do  for them and 
to them. Most adolescents know that  anabolic steroids build muscles 
and can increase  athletic prowess. Research has shown that failure 
to acknowledge these potential benefits creates a  credibility 
problem and can actually make youths more  likely to try the drugs.

Make use of the authority of coaches and the team  ethos. In the most 
promising program currently under  study, coaches and team leaders 
are trained to educate  team members about the effects of anabolic 
steroid abuse, both desirable and adverse, in the general  context of 
training. They also provide information  about nutrition and, of 
course, exercise and other  training techniques for improving 
performance without  the steroid abuse by as much as 50 percent and 
also  reduces alcohol abuse among teammates.
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