People have been very critical of professional athletes using illegal steroids and banned performance enhancing drugs. Major league baseball over the past year has made revamped to its steroid policy, while the NFL has always had a tough policy since the drug was made illegal. Should we not make the same requirements for all high school athletes in America?

If you want to stop steroids in sports, then there needs to be a commitment to stop the drug use in high school. I think every athlete should be tested. Some will argue that this would be a invasion of the Fourth Amendment, regarding illegal searches; however the Supreme Court has upheld the right to drug test high school athletes. It is time that the US government or the 50 states, to decide on how the drug test should be administered and what drugs should be listed as banned substances. Each year, we hear about more and more high school athletes deaths, as a result of steroid or related substances.

Some children are obsessed with getting bigger, or starting to win that college scholarship. Unfortunately, there are a number of high school athletes that are taking an enormous amount of risk with their health by using steroids. The problem will not just go away by itself. Therefore testing all of the students will likely catch those who are not under the radar. Children need guidance in more areas than picking their class schedules and what to wear. Parents, teachers, and coaches should always be on alert for severe changes in behavior and an abnormal increase in body mass.

Waiting to test high school athletes during the playoffs, is not a viable way to protect the youth of America. I think this policy does not sufficiently address the problem. You can give all the education in the world to the youth, however still some will break the rules. Everyone needs to do their part, in order to severely cut steroid use at the high school level. Another death from steroid use would be a shame. If you want to play, then being tested for steroids and other anabolic substances should be mandatory at least twice a year.

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