Student Well-Being

Steroid Tests Uncover Only One Positive Result in Texas

By Bryan Toporek — April 26, 2011 1 min read
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Out of 2,083 student-athletes tested for steroids in Texas last fall, only one returned a positive result, according to findings released late last week.

In announcing the results of its anabolic-steroid tests, the Texas University Interscholastic League noted that along with the one confirmed positive result, another student-athlete violated protocol by not reporting for testing.

The league conducted the steroid tests at 135 schools across the state, choosing student-athletes to test at random. A total of 750 females and 1,333 males were tested between September and December. The sports with the most tested student-athletes were football for males (469) and soccer for females (125).

As I reported back in January, Texas lawmakers are debating whether to continue the steroid-testing program, as it has turned up less than 30 positive results in more than 50,000 tests. Opponents of the program cite its cost as a reason to end it; proponents suggest that the program acts as a deterrent to would-be steroid users, even if it hasn’t shown many positive results.

Once Texas figures out whether or not the steroid-testing program is worthwhile, the state should contact the Pearl River County School District in Mississippi, as they’re due to discuss the possibility of drug testing student-athletes next month, according to the Picayune Item.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Schooled in Sports blog.