Continually, it seems, we read and hear about the use and abuse of illegal substances by athletes. The Soviet Union and East Germany made a science of doping performers in past international competitions, such as the Olympics. Recently, we have been given increasing evidence of the use of material such as steroids by professional athletes, with more questions about whether records they have set while "juiced" should be allowed.
It wasn't long before the drug issue arose at the college level where the performers earn far less money but seem to think that drug enhancement can help them make a lot as professionals. Now there is the shocking data that high school and even junior high athletes are getting more involved.
The seriousness of this latter development was spotlighted recently when the acting governor of New Jersey created a first-in-the-nation task force to look into steroid use among high school athletes. The official is being commended heartily by the Bergen County (N.J.) Record.
And that means there needs to be testing procedures such as there are in pro sports, in colleges and in the Olympics. Imagine the shame of having to go that route for high school athletics.
A national survey last year found that 3 percent of high school seniors who were athletes admitted to taking steroids at least once. That was a huge jump from a similar study in the 1990s. Comments the Bergen County Record:
"Steroids not only give athletes an unfair advantage but these drugs pose health risks such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, liver cancer and violent rages - and those effects become magnified and more likely to do permanent damage in teenagers." Junior highs also have encountered such problems.
We can be sure, considering the premium some high-schoolers and their parents put on extending athletic careers into colleges and the pros, that New Jersey is not unique in its concern about teen substance abuse. The survey that said only about 3 percent of senior performers may have used steroids is certain to be quite low. Some observers say 10 percent might be more accurate.
What is the situation at Lawrence and Free State high schools? Coaches are likely to say illegal drug use isn't an issue and that there is no need for testing, but, based on reports from other schools, it is an increasingly serious problem, and there is no reason to believe there isn't some substance abuse among athletes in Lawrence and area schools.
There must be better education programs for youngsters and their parents about the dangers of performance-enhancers, nutritional supplements and human growth hormones. That should be accompanied by solid testing programs and, just as important, harsh penalties for violators.
There should be no room for substance use by anyone in sports, but particularly by high school and junior high youths.
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