Student Well-Being

Steroid Tests and Playoffs

By David J. Hoff — January 03, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Acting N.J. governor orders state program

In a Dec. 20 executive order, acting Gov. Richard J. Codey created what is believed to be the nation’s first statewide steroid-testing program for high school athletes. Under the policy, athletes who want to compete in the state’s high school playoffs would be required to participate in the random testing program.

An estimated 10,000 students qualify for the playoffs as individuals or on teams in the 31 sports for which New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association runs championships.

Mr. Codey, a Democrat, mandated that the NJSIAA and the state department of education start testing in the 2006-07 school year. Mr. Codey announced the program in his order, but he left many of the details to the NJSIAA and the education department.

Among the first tasks is deciding what percentage of athletes would be tested for use of anabolic steroids and what punishments violators might incur. Officials must also decide when to test students so the results would be ready before the start of playoffs, said Bob Baly, an assistant director of the NJSIAA.

Drug-testing companies have told the association that they can provide results as quickly as 24 hours after testing, but such prompt service may turn out to be too expensive, Mr. Baly said.

Anabolic steroids can be injected or taken orally and are illegal without a prescription. They can bring rapid muscle growth, but also can damage the heart, kidneys, and liver, and cause other problems.

While steroid testing is now common for professional and Olympic athletes, Mr. Baly said the NJSIAA knows of no other state that requires high school athletes throughout the state to pass a test for steroid use to play.

Last year, the California Interscholastic Federation adopted a policy requiring student-athletes to sign a contract promising they won’t take performance-enhancing drugs. But the state is not going to give drug tests to students.

Whether New Jersey’s testing will happen is an open question, though. Mr. Codey leaves office Jan. 17, when U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat, is sworn in as governor.

The governor-elect is committed to examining the issue of steroids on his own, but a spokesman for him wouldn’t guarantee that Mr. Corzine would endorse the testing policy as governor. “We’re going to take a look at it,” said Andrew Poag, a spokesman for the Office of the Governor-Elect.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being Student Well-Being Report Shows How Kids Are Doing in Education and Beyond
Student well-being has seen some progress, but education continues to decline.
5 min read
Students work together on an assignment about ecosystems and environmental impacts during a 7th grade science class.
Students work together on an assignment about ecosystems and environmental impacts during a 7th grade science class. Education continues to decline in the latest report on children's well-being.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Student Well-Being What School Leaders Learned When They Talked to Families About Absenteeism
A district enlisted its community to find out why students were missing school and responded accordingly.
5 min read
Image of a school bus driving on the road in the rain.
Willowpix/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Opinion Social Media Is Awash With Bad Health Advice. This Lesson Can Help
Why a librarian and health educator teamed up to teach students the red flags of misleading claims.
Nicole Murphy & Cynthia Sandler
4 min read
This image portrays a young woman deeply engaged with her smartphone, seen through a distorted, swirling blur effect. The artistic composition highlights the concept of doomscrolling, brainrot, digital addiction, social media immersion, and the modern reliance on technology. The surreal perspective creates a sense of detachment, illustrating how screens can shape and blur reality.
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being What RFK Jr.'s New COVID Shot Recommendations Could Mean for Students
The health and human services secretary said that annual COVID shots are no longer recommended for healthy children.
5 min read
Elsa Estrada, 6, smiles at her mother as pharmacist Sylvia Uong applies an alcohol swab to her arm before administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a pediatric vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 set up at Willard Intermediate School in Santa Ana, Calif., Nov. 9, 2021.
Elsa Estrada, 6, smiles at her mother as pharmacist Sylvia Uong applies an alcohol swab to her arm before administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a pediatric vaccine clinic in Santa Ana, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2021. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending annual COVID shots for healthy children.
Jae C. Hong/AP