EDITORIAL: Act now on sports drugs in school EDITORIAL: Act now on sports drugs in school (January 12, 2005)

When sports role models such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi told a grand jury that they used steroids and other performance-enhancing supplements or drugs, one of the first reactions from political leaders was the concern that such habits may begin to influence younger athletes, particularly at the high-school level.

It is a valid concern that Pat Gemma, superintendent of the Sequoia high school district, is taking to heart, even though local coaches say they don't believe students in their care use such drugs or supplements. Mr. Gemma told the Almanac recently that he will discuss use of the supplements with district principals, a move that will ultimately bring more visibility to an issue that has plagued the lives of many professional athletes.

Some, like Mr. Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, appear to have stayed healthy despite use of the drugs. But Mr. Giambi suffered all last season, possibly from side effects of the steroids he was using. He was diagnosed with a benign tumor of the pituitary gland in midseason.

These widely publicized cases are certainly known to high-school athletes, who see that many performance-enhancing supplements are available at health food stores or on the Web and that sources for others, like steroids, can be found at public gyms and other workout centers.

Coaches at Menlo-Atherton and Woodside high schools, and Peninsula Athletic League officials, say there is no indication that their student-athletes are using supplements such as Androstenedione (Andro) or Ephedra, but a recent survey of 500 California teens older than 14 found that 11 percent of boys and 5 percent of girls had taken such supplements or drugs.

The issue has caught the attention of State Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, who has reintroduced a bill that would create a list of supplements banned specifically for student athletes. The bill also would require coaches to attend classes to learn about the dangers of such supplements.

Unfortunately, Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger vetoed Ms. Speier's bill last year, saying that it focused on dietary supplements rather than steroids, adding that dietary substances are safe and are already regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

But those are hollow words in today's pill-happy environment. Dietary supplements such as creatine carry risks and FDA regulation is scant, leaving the burden of initial product safety to the supplement manufacturers and relying on industry-sponsored inspections and consumer complaints to identify problems.

Roger Blake, an official at the California Interscholastic Federation, which establishes safe athletic standards in the state, has the right idea. He told the Almanac: "Our coaches have got to be standing up in front of our athletes and talking to them about (performance-enhancing substances). When coaches take that kind of stance, they will make a difference."

Local school officials are right to think now of ways they can warn students about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. Comprehensive and clear information about the dangers of these substances should be made available to all students now to reduce the likelihood of substance abuse ever getting a foothold in area schools.

And we urge educators to support Ms. Speier's bill and hope that Gov. Schwartzenegger, who has admitted he used steroids during his weight-lifting career, will sign a bill to keep these supplements out of the hands of high-school students.

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