The unending news on steroid scandals in the professional sports like the NFL, MLB and NHL still pose a major question whether they are effective in implementing anti-doping policies. Although these organizations claim that they have a well established testing program for doping athletes and stiffer sanctions for violators. But what we have noticed is the continued reports of positive tests of their athletes for performance enhancing substances. The NCAA or the National Collegiate Athletic Association is also increasing its effort to detect and control the possible steroid use among its young athletes. If the professional sports organizations will hand out with a tiered suspension plan, like a 50 game suspension for MLB players found using steroids, the NCAA on the other hand, gives a year long suspension for violators.

In the college level where the NCAA has jurisdiction, they only conduct random drug testing to student athletes. These are made during competitions or on summer breaks. The NCAA usually gives 48 hour notice to athletes if required to provide urine samples. These were sent to Drug Free Sport, a Missouri-based company accredited by NCAA. According to Frank Uryasz of Drug Free Sports, the costs of drug testing normally range from $75 to $100 per exam. However, if it will include additional test for other prohibited drugs, the cost is higher.

This is the main reason why most state colleges can’t afford to do mandatory drug testing on its student athletes. According to the president and CEO of the California Community College Athletic Association, Carlyle Carter, the problem is on the financial aspect. Since the country is still experiencing the crisis they are prioritizing the allocation of the budget. “We don’t want people to think we don’t have a concern over the health of student-athletes, but we’re not a for-profit organization and with the state of the budget crisis we can’t afford to test.” This is also the problem in other states like Texas where they already slashed to almost half the budget for steroid testing.

In a report of Gore from LA Valley Star, some of the athletes in California are in favor of conducting a drug test to all student athletes. This is to prevent other athletes to take advantage in the competitions. Joel Clements, a football player of Valley College said that he doesn’t feel steroids are a problem for their football team, but thinks that all athletes should be tested. “I’ve never seen anybody or heard of anybody I’ve played with using steroids. They need to test for it though because it gives guys an unfair advantage and that’s not right,” he said.

Athletic Department Chair Gary Honjio also said that it is important to note that its not just the athletes using steroids that should be tested. There are also students which are not into sports that may be using steroids. “There are guys in my classes, guys in the weightlifting classes that you know are using something so we pull them to the side and try to explain to them the dangers of using steroids.”

This is also revealed in a 2007 study where the most number of steroid user are not athletes but ordinary students. A study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2007 showed that 0.8 percent of 8th graders, 1.1 percent of 10th graders, and 1.4 percent of 12th graders had used anabolic steroids within a year of their study.

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