Highschool Steroid Testing - Steroid.com
Texas High-School steroid testing program - Information found by Steroid.com
I hate to say I told you so….
In 2007, a bill was signed to begin wide-spread steroid testing in Texas High-Schools. I predicted that it would be a failure, and a waste of money…and it was, with 10,000 athletes being tested and only 4 positives being found.
Firstly, it was a stupid idea because they randomly tested athletes from all sports. Great job, steroids are really rampant in cross-country running and golf. Random testing is stupid - why test a cross-country runner when there is a 250lb linebacker sitting in the class next to him? But I guess things had to be fair (and stupid)…
Programs that test for steroids (or other drugs) don’t stop people from using, they just catch them. The statistics show that this is true across the board. So, now, predictably, the guy who put this testing program into place is claiming that it was a success (only 4 positives, so it must have been acting to deter use), and his opponents are saying that it was a failure (there were only 4 positives so it’s not even a big problem).
Below is some excerpts from the letter I sent to the people who instituted the testing program, over a year ago…I hate to say I told them so, but….I did (and in truth, I didn’t think they were going to take me seriously, but I wanted to get something on record, so when their program failed, I could say I told them so!):
Here is the letter sent:
DECEMBER 6, 2007
Sir-
I realize that my e-mail address may be off-putting. But let me assure you that I come to you with the best of intentions…regarding the proposed 3 million dollar steroid testing program that is about to be implemented, I’m curious as to why this program would serve to deter athletes from steroid use.
I understand that the program is meant to stop the use of steroids in high school athletes, but statistically, other deterrent methods to prevent drug use by testing doesn’t seem to work, and again (statistically), even the death penalty does not serve as a murder-deterrent.
Speaking as someone who has researched anabolic steroids for a decade, I don’t know if anything in the literature would suggest that testing programs work to deter athletes. This particular program actually seems likely to have the opposite effect, as statistically, now athletes know that only 3% of them will be tested (if I’m reading the press release properly). Those odds are in favor of the athletes who will choose to cheat, and now they know it - in my humble opinion.
Again, I’m opposed to steroid use in high-school athletes (and non-athletes). I feel that this warrants repeating, at the risk of seeming redundant.Thank you for your time and consideration, and I hope that we can work together in some capacity to keep high-school athletes off steroids.