Drug Free Sport Top 5

Top 5 reasons to conduct institutional drug testing

In the past several years, institutional testing has continued to gain in popularity at all levels of collegiate athletics.

“Institutions develop internal sports drug testing programs for various reasons. Some begin in-house testing programs after a drug problem arises with student-athletes on their campus, often in a most public way,” said Kathy Turpin, Ph.D., (right) Drug Free Sport’s director of collegiate drug testing.

“Other institutions initiate in-house testing programs because they’ve had student-athletes test positive in the NCAA testing program. Then there are those institutions who take a proactive approach to testing because coaches, university officials and even student-athletes are in favor of it.”

Though each institution that conducts sports drug testing ultimately has its own reasons, here are five good reasons to consider institutional drug testing.

1. Institutional testing shows your commitment to a drug-free environment.

Those institutions that conduct institutional testing are showing their student-athletes and their student body where they stand on the issue of drug use and abuse.

Many institutions choose to test for street drugs as well as performance-enhancing substances to send a clear message to student-athletes regarding the entire athletics department’s perspective on drug use.

And, if poor behavior by a few student-athletes hits the news, you may be able to point to your institutional drug-testing numbers as proof that most of your student-athletes are competing drug-free.

2. Student-athletes report that drug testing is a deterrent to drug use, and it’s far more effective than education alone.

Student-athletes are less likely to use banned substances if they think they are likely to be drug tested and if they know they will be sanctioned.

Typically, the goal of institutional drug-testing programs is to deter drug use by student-athletes in the interest of their health and well-being. Most of the drugs athletes are likely to use are not only illegal but also quite harmful and can cause serious side effects.

Testing must take place often enough so that student-athletes believe they could be selected at any time. If an athlete then tests positive, the institution must follow its policy and impose the requisite sanction. If the institution fails to follow its policy, it has violated an NCAA rule (NCAA Bylaw 10.2).

3. You can identify and assist student-athletes with drug-use problems.

Student-athletes are subject to the same temptations as other students, and some studies have shown that they are even more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drug use, binge drinking and gambling. With your own drug-testing program, you can write the policy and determine penalties most appropriate for your institution and athletic department.

Most institutions make counseling or treatment for drug use part of the consequence for the first positive institutional test. Counseling services on campus should be able to provide an initial assessment of the student-athlete’s pattern of use and recommend the student-athlete for additional sessions if necessary. To protect the student-athlete’s privacy, the athletic department can ask counseling services whether the student-athlete attended the session or not, but counseling services cannot provide the details of the session itself.

4. Your institution is prepared for conference and NCAA testing.

Student-athletes from institutions that conduct drug testing are better prepared for conference and NCAA drug testing in a variety of ways.

Because institutional testing serves as a deterrent, student-athletes are less likely to use drugs and therefore less likely to test positive during NCAA and conference testing. If you have a drug problem with a particular team or with a group of athletes, you are much more likely to find out in advance of NCAA testing, where you can address it with treatment and your own institutional penalties.

Also, those student-athletes from institutions with drug testing understand the benefits of drug testing and are more comfortable with testing during NCAA championships.

5. More coaches are requesting institutional testing and perceive it as a necessity to help manage their program.

On many campuses, coaches are among the most outspoken advocates for institutional drug testing. Most institutional drug-testing policies give coaches a vehicle to have student-athletes tested based on “reasonable suspicion.” That means a coach who recognizes the signs and symptoms of possible drug use has the ability to have the student-athlete tested before it affects the entire team or the entire season. Also, many coaches see institutional drug testing as a way to enforce team policies against drug use and a way to set the tone with recruits coming into the program.

Do you have questions about institutional drug testing?

If you’d like more information about conducting an institutional drug-testing program, contact Daniel Regan, Drug Free Sport’s director of sales and marketing, at dregan@drugfreesport.com or at 816/474-8655, ext. 123.