New steroid policy in Santa Cruz schools, By: Matt King

09/15/06

Students in the Santa Cruz City Schools district will be taught the dangers of steroids beginning in the sixth grade, and athletes and coaches caught with steroids will be subject to stiff new penalties under a policy adopted this week by district trustees.

The new rules put the district in line with state law. The law, enacted last year, requires all schools with sports programs governed by the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, to provide training to coaches and education to students about the health risks of steroids. Students and their parents must sign pledges to not use steroids. A student caught with steroids will be restricted from sports and could be expelled.

"I don't think it's prevalent, but I do know it exists," trustee Bruce Neustadter said. "It's important that we stay aware of the fact that students driven to succeed sometimes use self-destructive methods."

Steroids build muscle mass and speed injury recovery time but have been shown to stunt teenagers' growth and cause heart disease, liver damage and fertility problems. The CIF has estimated about 30,000 California students a year use steroids.

"This is a condition of membership in the CIF," Roger Blake, of the CIF, said. "The object and the goal is to educate people to know what the rules are."

All districts in the state must have programs in place by the end of 2008. The Pajaro Valley Unified School District adopted a similar policy last school year. Louie Walters, football coach and athletic director at Scotts Valley High School said that district will adopt a policy soon.

"That's next," Walters said. "I feel that kids in our area aren't educated enough in the steroid issue and how much harm it does to you."