Performance Enhancing drugs are becoming more and more common in sports in this generation. It is known to increase the ability to perform and recover faster. Drug use is also referred to as 'doping.' Many athletes use this because it allows them gain muscle mass and work harder with less recovery time. Performance enhancing drugs is mostly known as anabolic-androgenic steroids. The use of performance enhancing drugs is not only unethical, it is a very good way to promote drug free schools. The athletes of any school are seen as representatives and are held to a high standard. When participating in an extracurricular activity, you are representing a student body and should be subject to drug tests to help maintain the reputation and to keep the game fair. Drug testing policies should be regulated on all levels of athletics, and particularly in a student enrolled in a team.

Anabolic steroids are drugs that are used to rapidly gain strength. Usually this steroid is injected but can be taken orally. Injecting this type of steroid allows it to be more effective because it goes straight to the blood stream. (WebMD) There are many types of Anabolic steroids but they are a synthetic version and mainly does the same thing as what testosterone does. It increases the amount of protein cells in the body allowing less recovery. (WebMD) The main part of weight lifting is that it tears the muscles down allowing it to grow back bigger and stronger. With less time to recover, it speeds the process up of strengthening the muscles. 

Performance enhancing drugs were mainly used by adult and professional athletes. More and more of college athletes and even high schoolers are using them. (WebMD) Anabolic steroids are very dangerous for teenagers that have not fully matured yet. Steroids lead to their muscles to mature too early could have many side effects such as increase of body hair or deeper voice. Other side effects could be like shrinking of the testicles, very low sperm count, heart attack or even stroke, liver disease, etc. (WebMD) Teenagers using anabolic steroids could have a higher risk of side effects because their body is not fully grown causing some body parts to not form properly. It also effects the mind as well. Many steroid users are known to have very violent mood swings. (WebMD) This can be very dangerous with a not fully matured body leading to more aggressive behavior. Anabolic steroids can cause permanent damage to the body and they will have to deal with it for the rest of their life. 

Student athletes find taking steroids as an easier way of increasing strength and ability without having to put forth of the effort and time. Sports is a privilege to play and using anabolic steroids is just a way of cheating. Student athletes should enjoy playing sports and competing in a fair way. Sports should be played to show off hard work, dedication, and raw talent. If people are cheating, the competition becomes unfair and less exciting. Abusing steroids early in age could change the mentality of an individual. It could make the person feel obligated to cheat throughout life instead of working hard for something they really want. 

The need for regulation of drug use in sports is recognized all over the world. In the United States, famous athletes who have been caught using performance-enhancing drugs include baseball player Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, and Gary Sheffield; football players Todd Steussie and Chris Cooper. (Bouchard & Sprague.) The issue of doping came to head in the United States in 2004, when a huge scandal developed within Major League Baseball. (Bouchard & Sprague.) The hearings that followed did not solely focus on baseball, it focused on other sports like football as well. The committee demanded summaries of drug testing polices within many professional league athletics such as; the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Soccer, the US Soccer Federation, the Association of Tennis Professionals, USA Track and Field, and USA Cycling. (Bouchard & Sprague.) Four separate bills were proposed regarding the regulation. While many people questioned if the government's involvement in each of the private leagues was necessary, these bills paved the way for drug testing regulations everywhere.

Drug testing is done in a three step process; an initial screening test if positive, it is confirmed by an alternate technology, and finally the results are reviewed by a Medical Review Officer, a physician trained in drug testing and substance abuse. (Evans.) In all cases, the results are kept confidential and only released on a need to know basis. A positive result of a drug test can be used to refute privileges and/or to initiate additional evaluation. Random drug testing gives schools a strong weapon to help get drugs out of schools. (Evans.) A recent study in Indiana schools by Joseph R. McKinney, J.D., Ed.D., Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Ball State University, demonstrates the effectiveness of student random drug testing. (Evans.) The study examined the effectiveness of a mandatory, random drug testing policy before and after court rulings. The Indiana Court of Appeals had ruled that student random drug testing was unconstitutional under the Indiana Constitution in August 2000. (Evans.) Later on the court reversed the lower court and the schools have reinstated their programs.

 The study looked at high schools with random drug testing policies. Ninety-four high schools were identified. Of these schools, 83 high school principals responded to the survey. (Evans.)  The principals were asked to contrast substance abuse activity during the 1999-2000 school year when drug testing policies were in effect with the 2000-2001 school year when schools were not permitted to use random drug testing. (Evans.) Overall the results came back that drug and alcohol usage was reported an average of 85% of substance abuse after the programs had been stopped. (Evans.) Based on the data and results, policies provide a strong tool to use in the fight to reduce substance abuse among students, and especially student athletes. A study by researchers at Oregon Health and Science University shows that student athletes subject to random drug testing at an Oregon high school were almost four times less likely to use drugs than student athletes at a demographically similar school who were not tested. (Evans.)

Across all sports there are a set of rules and regulations. These must be enforced for the competition to have any true meaning. The most common rule is the ban of performance enhancing drugs such as steroids. (Lee & Griswold.) The rules are in place to ensure that the game remains fair and that everyone is competing on an even playing ground. The reason for drug testing student athletes is simple. If you are compelled to partake in an athletic team, you should be able to demonstrate that you are not using banned substances to gain an unfair advantage on your opponents. In the United States no one is required to compete in an organized professional or college team or league. (Lee & Griswold.) Not only have the leagues deemed the use of steroids is unfair and an undesirable way of improving performance, the people and fans who watch the games have as well. Many athletes continue to dope and violate the rules, and because of this their records have been discounted and they have been banned for varying periods of time based on many factors. In none of these cases have the athletes constitutional rights be compromised because when they chose to participate in the athletic sport, it was voluntary and not mandatory. (Lee & Griswold.)  In most cases the athlete signs an agreement to be subject to tests at any given time. 

The strongest argument against drug testing student athletes is that the searches are not permissible under the Fourth Amendment. Many individuals do not think the drug testing of student athletes is fair because drug tests are not mandatory for other jobs such as musicians, computer programmers, chefs, insurance salesmen, and taxi drivers. (Jacobs & Newton.) They question, how is it fair to only test one particular group of individuals? To decide that a whole group of individuals must give up their constitutional right to the presumption of innocence in order to partake in one activity but not another clearly violates their constitutional right. (Jacobs & Newton.) It violates it also because the constitution guarantees against unreasonable searches in the Fourth Amendment and Self-Incrimination in the Fifth Amendment. (Jacobs & Newton.) The biggest counter argument to the previous statements made before are that it is not mandatory to participate in a competitive team in the United States. Any individual who decides to become a part of a team or league is making the conscious decision to be subject to random and mandatory drug tests. In almost all cases where an athlete has been dismissed from a team or on probation, the search was admissible due to probable cause. If an athlete is accused of drug use they must take a drug test. By joining the team the player agreed to the tests, and if they refuse to take it the coach or league may proceed to take whatever action they deem fit, whether it be dismissal from the team or suspension. 

The biggest advantage to drug testing student athletes and students involved in extracurricular activities is that is prevents overall drug use. It does this because of the threat of discovery discourages the student from beginning to abuse drugs or helps he stop. ( "Student Drug Testing Helps Prevent Drug Abuse.") Individuals cannot perform as well in school, so if testing reduces students use of illicit drugs, it will remove a major barrier to academic achievement. ("Student Drug Testing Helps Prevent Drug Abuse.") Drug testing is believed to be a good way to deter use because the same effects of regulations being in place have had the same results. Employers who have followed the Federal model have seen a 67-percent drop in positive drug tests. ("Student Drug Testing Helps Prevent Drug Abuse.") Although some students may see the regulations and testing as unfair, it does provide a good excuse for other students to say no. Peer pressure is a major issue in most schools and it is very easy for a student to give in. By the student being at risk of being caught, it gives them a valid excuse to say no. As these students become adults they will be faced with drug tests to not only get, but to maintain a job and by starting early and drug testing them before they reach that point is very effective. ("Student Drug Testing Helps Prevent Drug Abuse.")

Privacy is always a claimed issue when referring to drug testing student athletes. Most people claim that students and athletes have the same rights as all other citizens and by drug testing them you are infringing on their right to privacy. What they do not realize is that for any drug-testing program, they prevent breaching student confidentiality and privacy. (Edwards.) Many procedures are followed to ensure the student's privacy is not invaded. Each program must adhere to regulated guidelines and specific requirements of student confidentiality as stated by the Federal Privacy Act, the Federal Alcohol and Drug Abuse Act and federal regulation. (Edwards.) 

Another issue that is brought up when discussing drug testing student athletes is that the test are not cost effective. Many people believe that spending the money to drug test students is a ridiculous way to use the money the school has. In any situation the cost of instilling a drug testing program can be budgeted to meet the needs of the district. (Edwards.) Also, by doing this, it does not require the time or funds from the primary role of education. School districts in New Jersey and across the United States Have found ways to raise or re-allocate funds, obtain grant funding or other means to support these program. (Edwards.) The resources needed to implicate a standard regulation of drug testing do not divert funds from the education. 

Drug testing student athletes is beneficial and legal under the Fourth Amendment, and should be an obligation of any student who is wanting, and willing, to participate in any extracurricular activity. Throughout the information gathered among sources, it is evident that drug testing student athletes would be very constructive, not only to the school environment, but to the students life as a whole instead. Although drug testing is beneficial, there should be uniform regulation that is used across all leagues. The athletes should be tested for both performance enhancing drugs and illicit drugs. Many people argue that the rights of the students are violated by being drug tested but according to Paul Madsen, to successfully challenge a drug and alcohol testing program under the Fourth Amendment, litigants must establish that the testing constitutes a search under the Amendment, and second, that the search is unreasonable. 

Drug testing students participating in an athletic team or extracurricular has been a controversial issue for years now and it is time for a reform. Drug use is a major public health issue and infringes on the schools atmosphere, the society, and the students life. The use of drugs is also most common in teenagers, so drug testing ultimately benefits the society because it helps the student become a better developed adult. Performance enhancing drugs are a major issue with student athletes all over the world. By drug testing for these kinds of drugs you are keeping the athletes from having an unfair advantage making the overall game a lot more fair. 

