In the professional world there is a lot of talk about drug usage, particularly steroids. Although steroids are a performance enhancing drug, it is still forbidden, very dangerous, and it is not the only drug being abused in sports.
Here at Prairie View A&M University, all athletes are required to take a drug test once a semester.
Aside from university policies regarding drug testing, the NCAA also has its own set of rules for drug testing for Division I and Division II schools.
Since Prairie View falls under this category, “the Division I and II Management Council and the Division I and II President’s Council voted to expand the out-of-competition (year-round) drug-testing program to all Division I and II institutions” they must comply by this ruling. Regardless if it’s not the season for a particular sport, all athletes must be tested.
There is an abundance of substances banned by the NCAA.
Anabolic agents (steroids) such as Boldenone and Testosterone, stimulants like Ephedrine, which is found in most diet pills, urine manipulators, DHEA and Synephrine, substances found in nutrition, some asthma medications, Primatene tablets and even some prescriptions drugs like Lasix and Ritalin are banned.
Ironically, some of these substances are found in regular everyday vitamins and if these substances are found the student can and will be held liable for not checking with the school physician to see if the drug at use is banned by either the school or the NCAA.
There are common myths about drug usage on the collegiate level.
The most popular myth is that drug use is highest among African-American student athletes. “African-Americans had the lowest percentage of drug use among all the drugs surveyed.
With some drugs, the differences were dramatic. For example, 84 percent of the Caucasian athletes had used alcohol in the preceding 12 months, versus 60 percent among African-Americans.
Another example is that only five percent of African-American athletes had used smokeless tobacco in the previous year, compared to 26 percent among Caucasians” according to the NCAA.
Another popular myth is that football has the highest use of anabolic steroids.
Although the anabolic steroid rate for football players was higher than most of the sports surveyed, men’s water polo actually had a higher rate of use.
While football has received the most attention in this area and undergoes year-round random testing in Divisions I and II, there are many other sports, such as men’s water polo and baseball, which have significant usage of anabolic steroids.
Each and every school has its own set of rules and regulations that each student athlete, coach, and coaching staff must abide by regarding drug testing.
Also the NCAA changes its rules every academic year and they also do random drug testing. It is best to be drug free and let your true talent show rather than take any type of performance substance.