High School Moves to Test for Steroids

It’s been the talk of the professional sports world for some time now, but testing for use of steroids among Missouri high school athletes is gaining its own attention.St. Louis-area school Fort Zumwalt could be one of the first in the state to test its student-athletes for steroids. Missouri State High School Activities Association Executive director Becky Oakes hopes more schools will adopt similar policies. Oakes says, at this point, it is up to local districts, not her association, to implement drug-testing policies of any kind. She says while some of the testing might be voluntary, Oakes believes peer pressure will convince athletes to refrain from using performance-enhancing substances. Oakes admits that testing costs might end up playing a significant role in what school districts end up doing, but she hopes they’ll see the dividends it would pay later.