The debate on steroid testing in high schools will not end as long as the state spent millions of dollars into this program. Even though the country is now in the process of overcoming the financial crisis, people are still asking if it is still worthy to spend huge amount of the state budget into steroid testing. Proponents of this program believe that it is an effective way of preventing student athletes to engage in the use of prohibited substances particularly steroids. Lawmakers and school authorities are also riding the wave of steroid controversies in professional leagues. But the question is does athletes in the high school level use performance enhancers to improve their abilities and skills?

In the latest report released by the UIL or University Interscholastic League, the result of anabolic steroid testing for Fall of 2009 returned 2 positive students. This is out of 3,133 tests conducted in different schools. If we will convert this into percentage, it is only about .0006%. A very minimal number but the state spent millions for testing these students for performance enhancers. Last year, Texas spent $2 million for steroid testing program.

In the commentary of Evan Mohl of Galveston County Daily News, this program is a waste of money. “Think, at least for a second, about how else that money could have been used to improve the quality of education — purchasing new books, hiring more teachers or at least not firing some, decreasing the size of classrooms, constructing new buildings for overcrowded schools, providing more free lunches and instituting training,” he said.

Mohls’ reaction is also similar to other school officials that expressed concern on the effectiveness of the steroid testing program. This is also reflected in the recent move by the Texas Education Agency to slash the budget for steroid testing in the next school year. Although this proposal met resistance from some lawmakers especially for the proponents of the program. In Texas Education Agency proposal, the budget will be reallocated to other programs such as steroid education for athletes.

The UIL spent $6 million on testing for the first year of implementation. Only 19 students athletes were found to be using steroids. In the whole duration of the program, the UIL still spent $14 million on steroid testing alone. If there are only a few student athletes who failed the testing, it only means that steroids is not really a major problem in high schools according to Mohl.

However, anti-steroid crusaders like Don Hooton and Dick Butkus will not easily accept this view. For them, the low number of steroid positive students was due to the effectiveness of the program. It serves as a deterrent for student athletes knowing that if they will be caught, extreme punishment awaits them.

We know that anabolic steroids use by high school students is a major concern because of its possible side effects to the young body of the athlete. But the result shows only a few were taking these drugs. Lawmakers should now evaluate their stand on the issue. What is more appropriate, steroid testing or steroid education?

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