A law signed Tuesday will subject Florida high school athletes in football, baseball and weightlifting to random steroid tests.
Florida high school athletes in football, baseball and weightlifting will be subject to random steroid testing this coming school year under a one-year measure signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Crist.
The tests, which will be supervised by the Florida High School Athletic Association, will target only 1 percent of the students who participate in those sports, which is estimated at less than 600 across the state.
About 1.4 percent (19,350) of Florida high school students reported previously using steroids, and 5,600, had used them within the previous 30 days, according to a survey used for a state study.
Under the new bill, a student who tests positive for steroids will be suspended from athletic competition for 90 days, but can have their eligibility restored within 60 days if they test negative on a follow-up test. Students who test positive also will be required to take a mandatory drug-education program.
Any athlete who refuses to provide a urine sample would be ineligible to remain on the team. Also, each student who wants to participate in football, baseball or weightlifting must get a consent form signed by their parents or they will be ineligible.
The original bill introduced by Llorente (HB 461) called for testing in all sports. But unable to convince the Republican-controlled Legislature to spend the money for an expanded program, Llorente agreed to a stripped down version.
Crist and Llorente, however, say even a small amount of testing could act as a possible deterrent to high school athletes from using steroids.
All FHSAA member schools (426 public and 224 private) will be subject to the tests after the law takes effect July 1.
But funding could become an issue. In a statement released Tuesday by FHSAA commissioner John A. Stewart, Stewart said the $100,000 allocated for the the testing might not be sufficient. But he added, ``the FHSAA staff members will be meeting with Rep. Llorente and his staff to discuss his intentions so we may proceed.''
Florida is not the first state to push steroid testing.
New Jersey became the first to start a statewide testing policy for high school athletes last year. Its initial testing for performance-enhancing drugs among 150 random samples last fall failed to produce a positive result.
Texas signed a far more ambitious bill into law last week, which set aside $3 million per year for testing athletes in all sports.
The law signed by Crist requires the FHSAA to submit a report on its findings by Oct. 1, 2008.
High School Steroid testing is state law in Florida