Dayenerah Chavez

English 102

9-4-18
 Many people like to test their limits in college, now should we exclude the athletes 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. Now the question I am proposing is, why we

should drug test our college athletes?

Drug Use by College Athletes: Is Random Testing an Effective Deterrent? (2013, November 26).

Retrieved from http://thesportjournal.org/article/drug-use-by-college-athletes-is-random-testing-an-

effective-deterrent/

This article goes over the affects and reactions of random drug testing. 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? Is that truly safe for the name, other team

members?

Drug Use by College Athletes: Is Random Testing an Effective Deterrent? (2013, November 26).

Retrieved from http://thesportjournal.org/article/drug-use-by-college-athletes-is-random-testing-an-

effective-deterrent/

The objective of this study was to recognize the patterns of NCAA student athletes for any

alcohol, amphetamines, steroids, cocaine, marijuana, and hallucinogens. It was a self-reported and

anonymous survey given to both male and female student athletes competing in NCAA Divisions I, II, III.
This study shows a wide rang of use in the NCAA sports, majority of students engaged in substance use.

The survey showed that the highest use among Division III athletes.

Wechsler, H., Davenport, A. E., Dowdall, G. W., Grossman, S. J., & Zanakos, S. I. (1997). Binge Drinking,

Tobacco, and Illicit Drug Use and Involvement in College Athletics. Journal of American College

Health, 45(5), 195-200. doi:10.1080/07448481.1997.9936884

This is replication from a study done in 1985. It was a questionnaire was handed out to 2,282

athletes both male and female, participating in 11 institutions. There was a fewer athletes that reported

using cocaine or marijuana in 1989 that in 1985. But there was an increase in reports in the use of

tobacco and major pain medications. Whereas, the use of alcohol and steroids remained the same.

Plotnikoff, R. C., Costigan, S. A., Kennedy, S. G., Robards, S. L., Germov, J., & Wild, C. (2018). Efficacy of

interventions targeting alcohol, drug and smoking behaviors in university and college students: A

review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of American College Health, 1-17.

doi:10.1080/07448481.2018.1462821

In this article, the authors compared the pattern of substance usage in undergraduate student

athletes and non- athletes from the year 2005 to 2006. They collected this data from 418 males and 475

females. This study was a self- reported questionnaire that assess prevalence, and quantity of alcohol

and drug usage during their athletic season. The results concluded that male athletes were at risk for

heavy drinking and performance-enhancement drugs.

Ray Tricker is Director of Drug Education and David L. Cook is Director of Sport Psychology at the

University of Kansas, 160 Robinson Ctr., Lawrence, KS 66045. Rick McGuire is Head Track Coach with

the Athletic Department, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201. Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Pages: 155-

165
 This article reviews that in recent years the abuse of drugs in college athletes has been receiving

a greater amount of attention. Due to this growing problem of drug use in athletes, the new NCAA drug

test policy, and many recent deaths od 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

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, “: (a) why athletes are at risk, (b) athletic leadership and its relationship to substance

abuse, (c) the role of the sport psychologist, (d) issues related to the effectiveness of drug education for

athletes, and (e) recommendations for athlete drug education programs.”