Dayenerah Chavez

Eng.102
Explanatory Essay
September 27, 2018

Should College Athletes Be Drug Tested

Many people like to test their limits in college, now should athletes be excluded from

this? There are many people that believe that college athletes should be held to a higher standard

and be drug tested once a month. While there are also many people believe that athletes are

humans too and should not be penalized for trying to fit in with the crowd. Here are a few factors

to consider when making your opinion.

In the NCAA has rules for all students in Divisions I and II. They state that students are

subjected to year-round drug test, but with this rule they have encouraged each school to set their

own punishments/consequences. Most schools were quick to add zero-tolerance policies with

their drug programs. The NCAA has done a study that compares drug testing form high and low

performing athletic programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if athletes competing

on successful teams are held to different and/or higher standards compared to athletes competing

on less successful teams. The NCAA also reported that “one in four college students met the

criteria for substance abuse or dependence in 2005.”

With the zero-tolerance policies it is taken very seriously when it comes to banned

substances. Each school has its own punishments when a student is caught with these substances

such as in school suspension, out of school suspension, and even expulsion. There are

consequences that a student may face even if they are not caught, such as a personal injury,

death, assault by other drinking students, or drinking and driving. There have been many

instances where there has been a death of an athlete due to drug use. Such as, there was a cheer

team that had used either Marijuana, heroin, and Xanax, which resulted in one dying due to an
Dayenerah Chavez
Eng.102
Explanatory Essay
September 27, 2018
overdose. The effectiveness of testing as a deterrent for drug use will likely depend on the

scheduled administration of the tests and the immediacy of rewards and sanctions for

participants.

In some cases, people feel that it is a way of invading the privacy of students. That

students should not be punished for being in college and experimenting. Whereas others feel as a

collegiate athlete they gave up their rights to privacy and should held to the higher standard.

They are considered role models to younger generations, they are wearing the school’s logo

therefore they are the faces of how their school is. By letting an athlete participate in an event not

knowing if they are or aren’t using a performance- enhancing drug, is that truly fair to the other

teams

A study was done to recognize the pattern of NCAA athletes for any alcohol,

amphetamines, steroids, cocaine, Marijuana, and hallucinogens. This was a self-reported and

anonymous survey given to both male and female athletes competing in Divisions I and II. This

study shows a wide range of use in the NCAA sports, majority of students engaged in substance

use. The survey showed that the highest use among Division II athletes. The National Center on

Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University reported that half of all full‐

time college students binge drink (defined as five or more drinks on any one occasion in the

previous 2 weeks) and/or abuse prescription or illegal drugs each month

Due to this growing problem of drug use in athletes, the new NCAA drug test policy, and

many recent deaths of elite athletes. The sports psychologist is to be prepared to deal with many

of these issues. Many college settings the psychologist me expect to provide support with

counseling in the development of drug abuse and way to prevent by various programs. Sports
Dayenerah Chavez
Eng.102
Explanatory Essay
September 27, 2018
psychologist need to examine the factors that may lead athletes to using drugs, they need to

understand the different roles of preventions. This article goes over five problems related to drug

abuse in collegiate athletes, such as, “why athletes are at risk, athletic leadership and its

relationship to substance abuse, the role of the sport psychologist, issues related to the

effectiveness of drug education for athletes, and recommendations for athlete drug education

programs.” In 2009, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of

Sports compiled institutional drug testing policies and procedures information from 491

institutions.
Dayenerah Chavez
Eng.102
Explanatory Essay
September 27, 2018

Work Cited

Elliott, K. P., Kellison, T B., & cianforne, B. A. (2018). NCAA Drug Testing Policies and Penalties: The Role
of Team Performance. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 11(1), 24-39. Retrieved form
http://search.ebscohost.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=130325780&
site=ehost-live

Lamb, K. (2017). Has drug testing gone too far? Canadian Thoroughbred, 32(8), 32-35. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=127033
381&site-ehost-live

Trachsler, T. A., & Birren, G. (2016). Implications of Drug Testing Cheerleaders. JOPERD: The Journal of
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 87(1), 21-24. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.cpm.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=112083
282&site=ehost-live

Choo, S., & Wen, L. S. (2018). Baltimore Citywide Engagement of Emergency Departments to Combat the
Opioid Epidemic. American Journal of Public Health, 108(8), 1003–1005. https://doi-
org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304551

Diagnostic accuracy of a two-item Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-2) Addictive Behaviors, Volume 74,
November 2017, Pages 112-117 Quyen Q. Tiet, Yani E. Leyva, Rudolf H. Moos, Brandy Smith

Bahrke, M. S. (2015). Drug Testing US Student-Athletes for Performance-Enhancing Substance Misuse: A

Flawed Process. Substance Use & Misuse, 50(8/9), 1144–1147. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=109421
916&site=ehost-live

Cadwallader, A. B., & Murray, B. (2015). Performance-Enhancing Drugs I: Understanding the Basics of
Testing for Banned Substances. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism,
25(4), 396–404. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=109423
797&site=ehost-live

Momaya, A., Fawal, M., & Estes, R. (2015). Performance-Enhancing Substances in Sports: A Review of
the Literature. Sports Medicine, 45(4), 517–531. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=101853
345&site=ehost-live

Dupont, R. L., Campbell, M. D., Campbell, T. G., Shea, C. L., & Dupont, H. S. (2013). Self-Reported Drug
and Alcohol Use and Attitudes Toward Drug Testing in High Schools With Random Student Drug
Dayenerah Chavez
Eng.102
Explanatory Essay
September 27, 2018
Testing. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 22(2), 104–119. https://doi-
org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1080/1067828X.2012.730354

Calmes, S. M., Laux, J. M., Scott, H. L., Reynolds, J. L., Roseman, C. P., & Piazza, N. J. (2013). Childhood
Psychological Trauma and First-Year College Students’ Substance Dependence. Journal of
Addictions & Offender Counseling, 34(2), 70–80. https://doi-
org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1002/j.2161-1874.2013.00016.x

Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports: How Chemists Catch Users T. C. Werner and Caroline K. Hatton
Journal of Chemical Education 2011 88 (1), 34-40 DOI: 10.1021/ed100525f

Kleinpeter, C. B., Brocato, J., & Koob, J. J. (2010). Does Drug Testing Deter Drug Court Participants From
Using Drugs or Alcohol? Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 49(6), 434–444. https://doi-
org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1080/10509674.2010.499057