A CLEAN AND SOBER NBA

There is tragic irony in the fact that the same game that provided
many of the players in the National Basketball Association a way out
of drug-infested neighborhoods has now become a symbol of drug use. As
Darcy Frey writes in his book "The Last Shot," for many young people
growing up in tough neighborhoods "there is basketball, and when that
doesn't work out, there is drugs." Now a significant number of NBA
players, it seems, escaped the streets only to move up the social
ladder of drug use.

Sadly, the league that once embodied their dreams now provides a safe
haven for drug abuse, a culture that effectively encourages it, a
large bankroll to support it, and maybe a habit that will eventually
destroy them.

According to some estimates, as many as 70 percent of NBA players may
be current drug users. Marijuana, which players can use with impunity
from league sanctions because it is not prohibited under the existing
NBA rules, accounts for the bulk of this use (making it routine for
players to build an addiction bad enough to run afoul of the law
before their problem receives attention).

To their credit, NBA Commissioner David Stern and the league have made
it clear the marijuana loophole must close. But the NBA Players'
Association has refused to go along with this effort so far. This
impasse has been one factor in the lockout that now threatens the
1998-99 season.The NBA and the players need to break this stalemate
and craft an effective drug policy that is fair to all -- the league,
the players, the fans, the game and our children.

Youth drug use is driven by attitudes; drug use by NBA players sends
the wrong message to our nation's children. Millions of young people
emulate these sports heroes -- from their free throw stance to their
drug use. When young people see elite athletes using drugs, they get
the false message that they can use drugs and still be winners. Worse
yet, they fail to grasp the risks drugs pose to their lives, health
and dreams.

And the risks here are real. As the Len Bias tragedy shows, drugs can
kill. Studies also show that marijuana and other drugs increase a
ballplayer's likelihood of a career-ending injury. One reason injuries
increase is that drug use impairs coordination and athletic abilities,
which for many players may mean the difference between riding the NBA
bench and walking hard streets. The impacts go beyond the individual
player; everyone around him is affected. Team morale and achievement
suffer when drug use compromises the game of a player. The fans, who
pay to watch these players at their best, are shortchanged.

These risks trickle down to all the youngsters trying to make the NBA
grade; think of how many young people blow a chance at the big league
when they fall into drug use. And when basketball no longer offers an
opportunity to make it -- into the league, or to college or to a
better job in a better place -- more children will turn to drugs
instead of sport.

The prevalence of drug use in basketball also diminishes the stature
of the game and the men who play it. Parents, whose primary concern
today is youth drug use, do not want to pay ever increasing ticket
prices to raise the stature of athletes who, in effect, promote drug
use.

Some players are trying to change the game's reputation. For example,
the New York Knicks' Charlie Ward has spoken out strongly against
drugs. The San Antonio Spurs' David Robinson has helped organize
anti-drug programs for kids. And Charles Barkley, noted for his
role-model reticence, has called for a Draconian NBA drug-testing scheme.

Others, however, continue to display an above-the-law attitude about
drugs. The league needs to join the millions of Americans who work in
drug-free workplaces -- and for wages far less than the average NBA
player's $2.6 million salary. Roughly 70 percent of full-time adult
American workers are employed by companies that have drug-free
workplace programs. A 1995 Gallup poll found that 72 percent of
Americans want drug testing in their workplace. Sixty-seven percent
supported random drug testing by employers. Sixty-one percent of
people believe that professional athletes should be subject to more
significant penalties if they fail a drug test.

As these results reflect, in the eyes of most Americans, ending drug
use in the NBA is not about imposing a higher standard; it is about
asking athletes to meet the same bare minimum standard that applies to
our society as a whole.

The NBA and the players need to develop a strengthened drug policy
that, among other things, closes the marijuana loophole and provides
standards for effective drug testing. The policy should be based on
fairness; like any good drug-free workplace program it should apply to
everyone -- from the players to management. It also should be part of
a comprehensive program that focuses on prevention and treatment, but
holds out sanctions where appropriate. Such a change in approach is
overdue and must result from this round of talks.

The writer is director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry