HIGH SCHOOL DRUG TESTING RAISES CONCERNS

With the introduction of a bill in the Florida Legislature that aims
to curb steroid use among high school students, random drug-testing
has become a hot-button issue in the area's high schools.

The bill (HB 861), which has already won approval from a House
subcommittee, would require schools to randomly test at least 5
percent of their athletes for performance-enhancing drugs.

If passed, the bill would take effect July 1. But just the idea of it
has raised a vast number of concerns from all those who would be affected.

While the bill -- proposed by Rep. Marcelo Llorente, R-Miami --
involves steroid use, some people contacted locally don't feel steroid
abuse is an issue in area high schools.

"That's not at all what we have been discussing in Charlotte County,"
said Andrea Messina, Charlotte County school board chairwoman. "That's
not our greatest problem. There may be a case here and there, but I
think (the bill) is missing the boat on the real problem (of
recreational drug use)."

Charlotte County representatives and school officials have been
discussing drug use since the idea of random testing surfaced.

Until the bill's recent introduction, the testing hadn't targeted
student-athletes. And some people think that idea is just unfair.

"I don't think they should just pick out sports," Port Charlotte
pitcher Chris Bianchi said. "There are kids that are noticeable that
you can see do drugs and they talk about it in school, so I think they
should be punished, too."

Lemon Bay baseball coach Woody Smith saw the reactions from athletes
firsthand at a meeting held by the county in which athletes had a
chance to voice their opinions on random testing.

"There were a lot of kids there that acted like they didn't want to
play sports anymore if they implemented the testing," Smith said.
"There are going to be a few kids that quit sports because of it, but
I think if they implement it and stick (to) their guns, then it'll
work."

Having students who quit sports because of the testing would only be
a good thing, in the opinion of Port Charlotte baseball coach Bob Bruglio.

"Why do we want those athletes?" Bruglio asked. "I don't want kids who
are using drugs playing for me."

If the objective is to eliminate drug use in schools, the bill has the
support from area school officials and most students.

"Ninety-five percent of the kids don't have anything to worry about,"
Charlotte football and boys weight-lifting coach Binky Waldrop said.
"The small percentage that are guilty, hopefully it'll be better for
them -- they'll be a little better educated about it than they were
before."

It's getting to a point that worries North Port High School athletic
director Jim Clark.

"I'm going, 'OK, is this going to be another piece of legislation that
they expect the school to pay for?'" Clark said. "They don't fund this
stuff -- they tell you that you have to do things. They don't tell you
how to pay for it."

Clark says athletics gets minimal funding from state government as it
is, and drug testing for student-athletes would put a financial strain
on athletic departments.

The alternative could be to implement testing to 5 percent of the
entire student population involved in extra-curricular activities,
which would take the focus off athletics.

Legally, according to Messina, schools cannot randomly test all
students. The students have to be willingly involved in something
other than attending class. Besides those involved in extra-curricular
activities, a proposed target would be students who request on-campus
parking passes because of the correlation between drug use and driver
safety.

What to do with those who test positive has also been a topic of
discussion.

"We do not want this to be a punitive thing," Messina said. "We're
trying get them help and help them overcome their problem if they are
using drugs."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.