Steroids: To Test or To Educate? (continued)

Doubts and Concerns

For some school administrators, there are simply too many unknowns, too many unresolved problems to fully embrace the idea of drug testing.

“It’s not a panacea,” said Joel Dvorak, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Natrona County School District in Casper, Wyo.

As a doctoral student, Dvorak surveyed drug-testing policies at 89 school districts around the country. He found that testing appeared most effective in reducing drug use among younger high school students. Drug use in the 11th and 12th grades was unchanged by the testing.

“I think by then students have made up their minds,” Dvorak said.

His research raised other considerations about student drug testing.

“It goes against a lot of democratic ideals. It assumes guilt, and what kind of message is that to send to students? We don’t test here, but there are districts in the state that do. They say it works; it’s accepted by the community,” Dvorak said. “I’m not sure where I stand, or whether people around here would accept testing.”

David Lett understands the dilemma. He is the superintendent of the Pana Community School District, a 5,700-student K-12 district in rural Pana, Ill. Lett said his district does not have a serious drug abuse problem, but he’s seen the scary news headlines.

“Steroids and the like are an area of increasing concern for me and a lot of superintendents. We live in a quick-fix, take-a-pill society where kids are exposed to all sorts of nostrums that allegedly will give them an edge. This is an issue that will probably be a bigger concern down the road,” Lett said.

At the moment, however, neither he nor his community are considering drug testing. Like many others, he strongly advocates educating students to the dangers of steroids and other substances. He believes districts should have clear rules about what kinds of assistance and advice coaches and other district personnel can give students seeking to improve their bodies. He worries about the potential dangers and liabilities of students using diet supplements, which are legal but unregulated.

But drug testing? Well, that’s a huge step.

Said Lett: “You have to ask yourself and your community: Are you prepared to take that drastic measure?”

Scott LaFee is a science and health reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune. E-mail: scott.lafee@uniontrib.com