| Professional athletes have been in the news a | | | | |
| lot over the past few years, either being | | | | Texas schools has a sports program with more |
| accused or admitting to taking | | | | than 700,000 participating students more |
| performance-enhancing drugs. Major league | | | | than any other state. Dewhursts proposal |
| baseball has taken several hits with | | | | would cost about $2 million annually, which |
| accusations being brought against some of | | | | would be provided to the Texas schools |
| their top players, such as home-run king Mark | | | | through state funding specifically for the |
| McGwire, who took the fifth amendment to not | | | | random drug testing program. |
| incriminate himself during Congressional | | | | |
| questioning on the subject. Barry Bonds of | | | | Reactions to Dewhursts proposal have been |
| the San Francisco Giants, Jason Giambi of the | | | | mixed within the Texas Schools. A few local |
| New York Yankees, and Olympic sprinter Marion | | | | school district officials do not believe such |
| Jones are a few others, who have been accused | | | | testing is necessary. Mike Owens, head |
| of taking performance-enhancing drugs. More | | | | football coach of Texas schools Robert E. |
| than 20 athletes were thrown out of the 2004 | | | | Lee, located in East Texas, stated that the |
| Olympic Games for doping violations, and at | | | | cost would not be worth the outcome, |
| least two gold medal winners forfeited their | | | | believing that the Texas schools have more of |
| wins and medals for using such drugs. | | | | a problem with street drugs, such as cocaine |
| | | | and marijuana. If the Texas schools tested |
| The abuse of steroids is most common among | | | | for those, he would be all for it; but he |
| professional athletes and bodybuilders, who | | | | does not believe performance-enhancing drugs |
| feel the pressure to win against daunting | | | | are that big of a problem within the Texas |
| competition. The abuse of steroids has | | | | schools athletic programs. He backed up his |
| become so prevalent that President George W. | | | | beliefs by stating that Texas schools coaches |
| Bush called upon professional athletes, team | | | | see their athletes daily and would notice a |
| owners, and coaches to stop all players from | | | | change in physique and would see the mood |
| taking the performance-enhancing drugs. | | | | swings associated with such drug abuse. He |
| Though the effects of long-term use of | | | | further suggested the money would be better |
| steroids is enough to cause concern with | | | | spent on education about the misuse of such |
| often permanent and dangerous physical and | | | | drugs. |
| emotional effects, it has been shown that | | | | |
| teen athletes now are using steroids at an | | | | Some Texas schools already do random drug |
| alarming rate to the point that it has the | | | | testing with their athletes. Lindale, Chapel |
| attention of Congress and the President of | | | | Hill and Whitehouse are three such Texas |
| the United States. | | | | schools districts, though Chapel Hill does |
| | | | not test for steroids. Not only do they |
| Parents, too, are gravely concerned and for | | | | believe the random testing keeps the athletes |
| good reason. A federally funded annual survey | | | | clean, but they also hope that it gives the |
| of teens drug use by the University of | | | | students a reason to say no. |
| Michigan, called Monitoring the Future, | | | | |
| showed that in 2002 three percent of high | | | | Texas schools student athletes had the most |
| school seniors had reportedly taken steroids | | | | surprising reaction to Dewhursts proposal. |
| at least once. Other sources report that as | | | | Many said they would not mind being tested. |
| many as five percent of teens between the | | | | They know that such drugs makes for an uneven |
| ages of 12 and 17 have taken it. That is 1.1 | | | | playing field and would like to keep their |
| million of our children across the nation. | | | | Texas schools athletic programs clean. There |
| | | | always is the temptation to use |
| Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst | | | | performance-enhancing drugs to gain strength |
| wants all Texas schools athletes to be the | | | | and bulk in order to get the advantage over |
| cleanest athletes in the nation and is | | | | your competition. It has become especially |
| proposing that all Texas schools athletes be | | | | tempting, knowing that so many professional |
| randomly tested for steroids and other | | | | athletes has used them. |
| performance-enhancing drugs. | | | | |