Steroid policy an issue to watch, By: Eileen FitzGerald
Sept. 5, 2007
Any Connecticut high school athlete found using a performance-enhancing drug will be banned from state-sanctioned competition for one year, according to a new state policy in effect this school year.
It is estimated five percent of high school student athletes use steroids nationally. If that holds true for the 104,000 student-athletes in Connecticut, it means up to 5,200 student athletes use steroids.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic compounds that mimic the action of the male sex hormone testosterone. The drugs are abused by some athletes and sports enthusiasts who want to increase muscle mass and improve performance, the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports.
In adolescents, anabolic steroid abuse can halt bone growth and has been associated with damage to the heart, kidneys and liver.
The state policy written by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference requires that if a school finds a student using steroids during its normal monitoring system, it must report the student to the CIAC.
At this point, no school in Connecticut conducts random drug tests.
CIAC executive director Michael Savage said the policy was not meant to encourage districts to design drug-testing programs, but that if a student were caught using, the person must be reported.
He said the policy raises awareness of steroid abuse and its long-term health dangers and works to ensure competition is fair and even among teams.
"We want the message to be loud and clear," Savage said, "and it has raised awareness about steroids and that is important."
The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that more than a half million eighth- and 10th-grade students are now using the drugs, and increasing numbers of high school seniors say they don't believe the drugs are risky.
The institute lists some major side effects of abusing anabolic steroids, including liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, fluid retention, high blood pressure, kidney tumors, severe acne and trembling, along with side effects just based on gender.
Some schools worry that without the money for random drug tests, and with tests the only way to confirm use of steroids, the policy is without teeth.
Chip Salvestrini, the athletic director for Danbury schools, said his coaches know to recommend students to counselors if there is suspicion they are abusing alcohol, have an eating disorder or are using steroids. But Salvestrini said he can see no way to accuse someone of using steroids and report them without an official drug test.
He applauds the CIAC for taking this step, but it's not clear what's next.
"I think the state has brought it to the forefront as an issue, but where do we go from here?'' Salvestrini asked. "It's a catch phrase across the country to stop steroid abuse in high school, but the professional athletes don't have their act together so how can we be expected to do this?"
Savage said he is watching the year-old New Jersey program that tests five percent of its state high school champions for drug use. If the state legislature directed his organization to implement a drug testing policy, Savage said he would recommend the New Jersey approach.
