Fort Zumwalt district to begin voluntary testing for steroids

ST. LOUIS -- A large suburban St. Louis school district will begin voluntary testing of athletes for performance-enhancing drugs in the 2005-06 school year, a move the superintendent hopes will send a message to stay away from steroids.

The Fort Zumwalt School District board in St. Charles County approved the program at a meeting Monday. In addition to performance-enhancing drugs, athletes, cheerleaders and pom pom squad members could be tested for illegal drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamine and PCP.

The district, with 18,500 students the state's seventh-largest, had a drug-testing program in place from 1997 until two years ago, when it was dropped due to budget constraints. But the previous program did not include steroid testing, superintendent Bernard DuBray said.

"It's not a situation where we feel we've got a lot of abuse, but it is obviously going on in pro sports and we felt it would send a good message, not only on street drugs but on performance-enhancing drugs," DuBray said.

The new policy was prompted in part by this year's spate of news about major-league athletes using or allegedly using steroids. In March, former Cardinals star Mark McGwire was among several baseball players called before Congress to discuss steroid abuse in baseball.

"Kids are impressed by those people, their wealth, their fame," DuBray said. "Kids sometimes make bad choices. They see this as part of the major leagues, they think they might try it themselves."

A study indicated that steroid use among high school students more than doubled from 1991 to 2003. More than 6 percent of 2003 students questioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged trying steroid pills or shots at least once.

Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Texas are among states where lawmakers are considering laws and policies to stop steroid use among high school athletes. A bill before lawmakers in Florida would create the nation's first statewide testing program for prep athletes.

Less than 4 percent of the nation's high schools test students for steroids, according to a 2003 survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

It wasn't certain if any other Missouri schools test for steroids. A call to the Missouri State High School Activities Association was not returned.

The Fort Zumwalt drug-testing program is not mandatory, though DuBray expects about three-fourths of athletes to participate. Under the program, first-time offenders will be put into counseling and will not face disciplinary action.

Second-time offenders will be suspended for the remainder of the sports season. For those who do not participate in the voluntary program, a first offense will result in suspension, DuBray said.

The program calls for random testing of five students from each of the district's three high schools each week. Three of the 15 samples will be sent to a testing lab in California.

DuBray said the district also plans to expand educational efforts to keep athletes away from performance-enhancing drugs.