Sports Medicine: High School Drug-Testing Programs: August 2003FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Bob Colgate The National Federation of State High School Associations | The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association | The National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc. 13 Percent of High Schools Have Drug-Testing Policy INDIANAPOLIS, IN ( September 2, 2003) - About 13 percent of the nation's high schools have a drug-testing policy in place to test students for illegal or prohibited substances, according to a survey of high school athletic directors this summer. The online survey was conducted jointly by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and the National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc. A total of 861 athletic directors completed the survey. Of the schools that have a drug-testing policy in place, 63 percent test student-athletes, while 20 percent test all students in the school. The testing is mandatory in 82 percent of the schools, and the method of testing is done randomly in 76 percent of the schools. With regard to the types of drugs for which schools test, marijuana heads the list with testing by 95 percent of the schools, followed by cocaine (86 percent), amphetamine/methamphetamine (85 percent), opiates (67 percent), PCP (63 percent) and alcohol (62 percent). When a student tests positive for a drug, 98 percent of the schools with a drug-testing policy notify the student's parents, 92 percent require some type of counseling or rehabilitation and, in 83 percent of the schools, the student is suspended from the sport or activity. In addition to the 13 percent of the schools that currently have a drug-testing program in place, another 17 percent indicated that they were interested in pursuing one. The most common reasons given for not starting a drug-testing program were budget constraints (54 percent), lack of school board approval (51 percent) and legal concerns (50 percent). Jerry Diehl, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, said he believes there are other factors as to why a large majority of schools are not involved in drug testing. "Although many schools have difficulty admitting that performance-enhancing supplements, as well as illicit drugs, are entering their programs, they continually look for ways to deter such use," Diehl said. "I believe the majority of high school administrators believe the money devoted to education is better spent than the money necessary for drug testing. In many instances, the amount of funding it takes for testing and rehabilitation exceeds what it takes for education and prevention. This education molds a long-term healthy lifestyle rather than punitive measures that, many times, have little or no effect on the individual." The survey indicated that the high school principal, not the athletic director, is most often in charge of the school's drug-prevention or drug-testing program. Fifty-four percent of the respondents indicated that the principal oversees the program, followed by the athletic director (33 percent), superintendent (25 percent) and athletic trainer (nine percent). More than 80 percent of those schools with a drug-testing policy indicated that they review their policy annually and disseminate the policy annually to all students participating in the testing. In addition, 79 percent of schools have students sign drug-testing consent forms annually. "A written drug-testing policy requires a clear explanation of the purpose of the program, the goals behind the monitoring of students' substance use, and the regulations and procedures involved," said Frank Uryasz, president of the National Center for Drug Free Sport. "Fortunately, 86 percent of high schools that drug test review and update their written policy annually. The survey also showed that 85 percent of schools present drug and alcohol education activities for their students as part of the regular curriculum, while 13 percent provide education outside the classroom. This survey provides valuable information regarding the extent of high school drug testing. Further, these data can be used as a point from which to measure any changes in the extent or nature of high school drug testing." For information concerning drug-testing programs, contact Frank Uryasz, National Center for Drug Free Sport, 816-474-8655 (www.drugfreesport.com). The complete drug-testing survey of athletic directors follows:
2. Is your student drug-testing policy reviewed annually?
3. Is the policy annually disseminated to all students participating in drug testing?
4. Do participating students (and parents/guardians) sign drug-testing consent forms annually?
5. What sanctions/actions are applied for a positive drug test?*
6. How does your school provide drug and alcohol education programs/activities for students?
7. Does your school perform student drug testing?
8. Is the drug-testing program mandatory or voluntary for participating students?
9. Which of the following student groups participate in your school's drug-testing program?*
10. How many drug tests do you perform annually?
11. What types of drug testing or methods of selection do you perform?*
12. What drug-testing methods do you use?*
13. How do you administer specimen collections?
14. From the list below, check all drugs that you currently test for.*
15. From the list below, check all drugs that you would like to test for.*
16. Who oversees your school's drug prevention, education and/or testing program?*
17. If your school does not drug test, why not?*
*Question might have more than one answer. Contact the NFHS Copyright ©2003 NFHS. All Rights Reserved. |
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6/8/2008
NFHS Softball Rules Committee Meeting
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NFHS Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee Meeting
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2008 Topic Selection Mtg
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