Drug Testing Student Athletes

[chanel]

A little more than four years ago, New Jersey became the first state to test high school athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. Since then, the state and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association have spent $400,000 to test about 2,000 student-athletes.

Only one student-athlete has tested positive.

Two other states — Texas and Florida — have tested high school athletes with similar results.

In Texas, nearly 50,000 tests since February 2008 have found about 20 confirmed cases of steroid use. The program began in 2007 with a $3 million annual budget but since has been reduced to $1 million and was almost eliminated completely this year due to the state’s budget crisis.

In Florida, only one of 600 students tested positive in 2008. The state ended its testing program in 2009.

Four years of high school steroid testing: $400,000 spent, 2,000 athletes tested, one positive test - pressofAtlanticCity.com: New Jersey News

Can someone help me with the math here?

Valuable deterrent or money pissed away?

 

[strollingbones]

money pissed away...that is what all drug tests are...

plus schools make a hell of a lot of money off student athletes....high school football is a business of its own

 

[chanel]

Maybe in Texas, but not here in NJ. In fact COLLEGE football in NJ is a drain on the budget. Big time.

It's one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but the numbers have proven otherwise. Time to scrap it IMHO.

Now if the test itself costs around $100, then it costs $1900 for the paperwork? Is this what we can expect from govt. run healthcare?

 

[editec]

Another perect example of the insanity of the WAR ON DRUGS.

Want to know what REALLY probably movtivated such a silly and expensive testing policy?

Somebody(s) made a hell of a lot of money doing those tests.

But it was taxpayers' money wasted so What the hell, why not?

The WAR ON DRUGS is a cash cow for some segments of society, folks.

Drug testing companies are part of that WOD mafia

 

[chanel]

You may be right, but I do know our school nurse pays about $40 for drug tests at school. So it's not just the lab making money. There are dozens of bureaucrats depending on that reg to justify their own jobs.

 

[Ravi]

Maybe in Texas, but not here in NJ. In fact COLLEGE football in NJ is a drain on the budget. Big time.

It's one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but the numbers have proven otherwise. Time to scrap it IMHO.

Now if the test itself costs around $100, then it costs $1900 for the paperwork? Is this what we can expect from govt. run healthcare?

No, but this is what we can expect from the Republicans that want to test food stamp recipients.

 

[chanel]

You make an excellent point Ravi. Cost benefit analysis and pilot programs should be evaluated before any large scale program is initiated.

But how do you figure that lab tests for other conditions will cost less in a govt. program? And I know we don't have that yet. Just askin...