BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois High School Association will ramp up educational programs to halt steroid use as it mulls possible mandatory testing of student-athletes for performance-enhancing drugs, officials said Monday.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois High School Association will ramp up educational programs to halt steroid use as it mulls possible mandatory testing of student-athletes for performance-enhancing drugs, officials said Monday.
An IHSA committee is studying whether to implement random steroid testing for high school athletes in nearly three dozen sports, already required in New Jersey under a new policy enacted late last year.
Testing in Illinois is "in the talking stages" and there is no timetable for a decision, said Scott Johnson, assistant executive director of the Bloomington-based organization.
In the meantime, the IHSA board on Monday backed stepping up educational programs aimed at steering young athletes away from steroids.
In Illinois, local school districts now decide whether to test student-athletes for drugs. School officials say a growing number of districts are adopting testing policies, with some requiring random tests while others test only when there is evidence of possible drug use.
Under New Jersey's program, all student-athletes who qualify for team or individual state championships are subject to random testing for steroids and a host of other banned substances including stimulants and diuretics. Athletes who test positive for any of more than 80 banned substances face a one-year loss of eligibility.
MORE STORIES FROM phillyBurbs.com