UPDATE: The IHSA is paying for its own testing. Texas is already talking about scaling down its program.
Florida was supposed to be a pioneer in testing for performance-enhancing drugs, and maybe it will be again in the future, but for now all that research is being put on hold. The Associated Press has reported that the state has ended the program, because it couldn't afford to spend the $100,000 in this economic climate. Testing of 600 students revealed one steroid user.
This is one of many difficult decisions legislatures and athletic departments across the country will face over the next several months, if not years. In the middle of its first year of testing, the IHSA last month released an initial report from the fall and found no positive results. Six were given medical exceptions, while the rest of the 264 students passed the tests.
Illinois, New Jersey and Texas are now the only remaining states testing prep athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. It's fair to wonder how long those programs will last. Maybe, as others have suggested, Alex Rodriguez can pay for them with the potential $30 million coming to him in home run incentives off his 10-year contract.
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