RANDOM DRUG TESTS COSTLY

Re: "Taylor's Law is deterring steroid abuse -- As program expands
next year, it should help even more, says Donald Hooton," Monday Viewpoints.

Mr. Hooton says, "If the cost of the [random steroid testing] program
can prevent our student-athletes from heading down the path that
caused my son to take his life ... it is worth it."

The problem is it can't. The University of Michigan's Institute for
Social Research conducted the largest study of student drug testing
ever done, on 76,000 students. It found no difference in use of
banned substances between students in schools that test and those in
schools that do not.

The Texas program will cost $6 million, last two years and reach less
than 3 percent of the 750,000 high school athletes each year. Of the
first 10,407 tests conducted, two tests were positive. That amounts
to $693,782 per positive test.

Parents are free to test their children if they suspect steroid use.
Their classmates should not have to tolerate fewer enrichment
programs, fewer teachers, larger class sizes, fewer counselors, fewer
coaches and less equipment to pay for a random testing program.

Suzanne Wills, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Dallas