School athletes should be drug tested  because some athletes across the state or county do use drugs.

Coaches understand that students in high school want to be considered “cool” or “popular”. Students who use drugs that are not however an athlete will try saying something that will convince them to take that certain drug, which that causes complications to those who those who play sports and take drugs.

When eight out of ten students said that athletes should have to take a drug test. The other two students however disagreed about this topic. A student who agrees stated ”

A student named Taylor Hooton is the reason why most schools down south and up north are starting drugs tests.  November 25th, 2003 Taylor died of sport enhancing drugs. Hooton was a former all around athlete and wanted to experiment with drugs and he kept taking them which eventually led to his death.

“I’m worried about kids,” said Dr. Donald A. Malone, a psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic, who wrote a 1995 study indicating an association between depression and steroid use. “Elite athletes know the side effects, and they can afford to pay for the real stuff. Kids don’t have the knowledge, and they’re buying it from some clown selling it at school. Who knows what they’re getting?”

Four percent of high school seniors said in 2002 that had used steroids, according to a survey by the University of Michigan. Other surveys indicate that 3 percent to 11 percent of high school students said they had used steroids. A survey by the National Collegiate Athletic Association indicated that nearly half of college athletes who admitted using steroids had begun in high school. As many as 3 percent of eighth graders said they had used steroids, according to the Michigan survey.

School district officials say they cannot afford to test students for drugs. We’ve all said drug testing is good.

Billy Ajello said, “Coaches don’t come out and say, `Take steroids,’ ” . “Freshman, sophomore, junior year, they tell you you’re too small. A kid thinks high school sports are everything: `I have to take it to the next level to get bigger and stronger to play.’