Question of the day
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
First, the setup…
Drug testing appears headed for the high school ranks in Illinois. In fact, the first steps on that slippery slope came last August, when IHSA administrators began formulating plans for a testing program.
In recent months, the push for drug testing has gained support from state senator Chris Lauzen (R-Aurora), who introduced the Fair Athletic Competition Act which could provide $250,000 to start a drug testing program if it becomes law.
The idea of drug testing is well-intentioned. So are the motives of those endorsing it. But subjecting a few athletes here and there to random raids — at an exorbitant cost — is barely even a partial solution in the mission to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs.
Testing would take place on athletes only after the state tournament begins, and perhaps not until the state finals. So had drug testing been in place this year, members from the eight boys teams in Peoria would be the only ones subject to random tests.
With 712 boys basketball teams statewide, what is being accomplished by drug testing a few participants from a pool of roughly 100 players?
Even if drug testing were to become a year-round practice done on a random basis for all athletes — the only way such a detection program can be truly effective — the return on such a huge investment could be negligible.
One positive test for steroid use out of 100 samples is a frivolous game of “gotcha.â€
Now, the question: Do you support random drug testing of high school athletes? Why or why not?
- VanillaMan - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 9:31 am:
Athletes are used to being very objective about their bodies. Testing it for drugs isn’t much of a stretch compared to the testing they normally do to enhance their performances. I’m an athlete and work out daily, swimming miles or running miles. I feed myself deliberately and take medications and vitamins carefully. It is nothing to stand around being tested for this or that. When you have coaches prodding you, it just isn’t a big deal. Pee in a cup? Sure. Take a physical - no problem. It is all a part of a healthy lifestyle. We are all pretty objective about our bodies; we work hard on them.
So drug testing is fine. If the guy next to me is doing steroids, I want to know. (If I couldn’t figure it out beforehand with his back acne and shrunken nads;). It is what we do.
It isn’t frivolous either. The idea behind all this work is to be our best. Drugs have no place in our routine. Drug testing would keep guys more honest.
Civil libertarians wouldn’t probably understand. They are usually so bloated and fat they haven’t even seen some of their body parts since high school, so stripping and getting tested would probably freak them out naturally.
Listen to us.
- He Makes Ryan look like a saint - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 9:43 am:
I think drug testing is good. I have been involved in athletics my whole life, and if this prevents kids from taking steriods or other drugs then it is a benefit to society.
It would not bother me to randomly test all students either, it may make a difference in their future.
- Concerned Voter - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 9:47 am:
Another great idea, but who pays for it? Another $250,000 the state will have to short the pensions?
- ArchPundit - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 10:04 am:
You were looking at shrunken nads?
Sorry–in good humor. Couldn’t resist.
I’m okay with steroid testing because it’s a relatively straightforward test assuming there is some rational and affordable way to do the tests, but frankly, many of the tests for other drugs like testosterone or EPO tend not to be based on strong science.
One of the worst things I’ve figured out watching the Floyd Landis fiasco is that given the standards we will never know whether he doped or not. It’s worse than if he could be completely exhonerated or completely found guilty, the standards are so irrational no one will ever be able to really tell. Trying to get into that in high school athletics would be pointless, time consuming and expensive.
- Patriot - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 10:08 am:
Let’s drug test high school students and teachers as well.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 10:10 am:
How about random drug testing for IHSA administrators?
This is ridiculous. Coaches and teammates know which athletes are using performance-enhancing drugs. Athletics is supposed to be part of the learning experience, and we should be able to develop an educational curriculum that teaches the most susceptible athletes and coaches what the consequences are.
In addition, coaches should have the authority to compel testing of suspected athletes for performance enhancing drugs, or they not only get the boot, they’re banned from all sports at any school in Illinois for life. Kids who test positive should be banned for no more than one year. Finally, any coach who knows — or should have known — that his athletes are juicing should be banned for life.
- Jeff Trigg - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 10:33 am:
Not without a search warrant based on “probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”, no.
- i d - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 11:29 am:
I am against random drug testing because of too many false/positives results. This could ruin a child’s reputation for their whole life. Also, there are too many legal prescriptions such as allergy and asthama meds that allow for false readings. Bad idea. Only students suspected of taking drugs should be tested by school or law enforcement with a search warrant issued or if the parents are the ones ordering the tests.
- Truthful James - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 11:56 am:
It is such a sad state of affairs today. We do require immunizations of public school children.
I am for the drug testing of all students when permitted by the parents, who are the legal guardians of unemancipated minors in the family. As part of the athletic permission slips required of parents for children to take part in organized sports, I am in favor of having the parent required to agree to random testing.
- Little Egypt - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 2:20 pm:
Don’t make it random. Make it mandatory. Academics are a necessity. Sports is a privilege you should earn if you are clean and sober. In fact, don’t stop there. Test teachers, school administrators, and IHSA administrators. It’s a different day than when I was in school and we need to wake up.
- Papa Legba - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 2:49 pm:
Why not test legislators for drugs? With some of the ideas they have, well…
Enough for the nanny government. Enough with the “War on Drugs”. What a huge waste of money. It has gotten so bad that doctors will not write scripts for legitimate ailments. They are fearful for their licenses and being busted if they write too many prescriptions for pain.
My health insurance won’t cover a knee operation I need, but when I ask for a weak non-narcotic pain killer from my doctor he says take Advil. I wonder if my insurance will cover the ulcer in my stomach from taking this “safe” over the counter medications.
- Papa Legba - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 2:58 pm:
As an example, a good friend of mine, a doctor, just got hauled away by the Feds. It was a Law & Order style raid on his office. 25 agents rush in grab the doc, his files and his computers. Why? Some doctor shopping idiot ate a bottle of medication, fell asleep driving and cracked up his car. Now he is suing the doc and my friend will most likely lose his license, everything he owns and will probably be doing time courtesy of the Feds.
I guess its easier to bust doctors than punks selling illegal street drugs.
- Stuck with Sen. CPA - Monday, Mar 19, 07 @ 11:26 pm:
Glad Chris can find it in his penurious heart to find money to support this, but can’t bring home the bacon on a regular basis and is pretty proud of it.