By Cade Kennedy and Ovell Patterson, Senior Reporters
Two out of 10 student-athletes in the United States have used drugs, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Administration.
As substance abuse by student-athletes stabilizes across the United States, both Northwestern and the NCAA are maintaining their efforts to crack down on student-athletes using drugs.
The problem of student-athletes using drugs is nothing new. The NCAA has continuously surveyed athletes since 1985 to study the effects of drug use on student-athletes — not just in the game but in the classroom as well.
In a 2013 study by the NCAA, the last year for which data was readily available, research showed a link between marijuana and grades, as student-athletes who smoked marijuana in the previous 30 days were three times as likely to have failing grades in a class than students who did not smoke. The study also revealed that student-athletes who have never used marijuana had a higher rate of A’s.
The study also showed a steady trend in marijuana use. The percentage of student-athletes who claimed to smoke marijuana was 21.9%. In the 2009 version of the study, the amount was at 22.6%, while the 2005 study had the lowest percentage of the three, with only 21.2% of the student-athletes smoking.
The NCAA has its own policy about drug testing. Nine different classes of drugs appear on the list of banned substances. Some of the drugs may sound familiar, such as narcotics, alcohol, stimulants and cannabinoids. However, names like anabolic agents, masking agents and peptide hormones may confuse some readers. For those wanting to know the common names in these drug classes, the NCAA lists examples for all nine classes.
NORTHWESTERN SEES
LOW POSITIVE TEST RATE
Northwestern has its own drug policy as well. Brad Franz, the athletic director at Northwestern, said the policies of the NCAA and Northwestern are quite different.
“The NCAA is going to come in and test for banned substances as well as performance-enhancing drugs,” Franz said. “They will probably come in twice a year, and maybe a third time, but usually once a semester, and pick 50 to 60 athletes from multiple different teams and do the drug test through Keith Wear, our trainer, who handles all of our drug testing. After the test, they’ll run it through the screen.”
Franz said the number of positive drug tests has been low, and that the education provided by the athletic department has helped the number stay low.
“We’ve had very few occurrences of that, as we do a lot of drug education, be it recreational drugs or performance enhancing drugs,” Franz said. “Keith does that in the fall, and we just have not seen a lot of that. I think that kids are a lot more educated. … With the world we are in, there is so much in professional sports about performance-enhancing drugs that they know about.”
DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION
IS KEY PART OF POLICY
Drug education is a major part of the Northwestern drug policy. Substance abuse education is mentioned before drug testing in the section of the student-athlete handbook involving Northwestern’s drug policy.
The education segment details Northwestern’s plan to provide seminars for all Northwestern student-athletes about drug abuse problems and how substance abuse affects an athlete.
For drug testing, the handbook lists three different ways testing can occur. The first type of testing is random testing, which is a sporadic type of testing that pops up periodically and involves an unspecified number of student-athletes.
The second type is team testing, which happens when the head coach of a team specifically requests, with the approval of the athletic director, that the entire team be tested at the same time.
The final type of testing is reasonable suspicion, which occurs because of the head coach or the athletic director questioning a student-athlete’s fitness to perform.
In addition to the three types of testing, the handbook mentions other signs that coaches need to look out for. Two of the three signs are similar to the types of testing, as they involve reasonable suspicion and the athlete’s performance being in question. However, the final sign said the test will be used anytime the athlete’s behavior is antisocial.
“I would describe antisocial as adrift of their teammates,” Franz said. “If someone finds themselves drifting away from their teammates, we will find them and say, ‘You’re not hanging around your teammates.
You’re not hanging around your things. Is everything OK?’”
The university has a three-tiered “strike” policy regarding drug testing. After three positive drug tests, a student can be permanently terminated from the university and athletic teams. But before a student reaches that point, several steps of intervention are in place to help the student, according to the drug testing policy.
GETTING HELP FOR
STRUGGLING ATHLETES
These tests and signs are not the only factors coaches look out for when it comes to testing. Coaches are likely aware of the signs and symptoms of drug abuse by students.
“The coach would probably know right away,” said Jon Bingesser, the head coach of the Northwestern volleyball team. “Especially if it was a situation that got out of hand, like marijuana, for example, you could probably tell by smelling it or by seeing that their eyes are bloodshot.”
‘SAFE HARBOR’ CAN HELP
Looking for signs is not the only job coaches have when it comes to drugs. They can also help student-athletes get the aid they need through the procedure called “safe harbor.”
The procedure involves an athlete informing his or her coach about a drug problem the athlete has. It gives the student-athlete a 30-day period where the athlete will not be included in drug testing, but the athlete will not be able to practice or compete.
The athlete will also have to go to counseling during this period and will be reinserted into the pool of drug test applicants after the 30-day period. Student-athletes can only use safe harbor one time while at Northwestern.
“If somebody comes to us and says, ‘I have a drug problem,’ whatever it might be with all the different things in society today, we are going to be supportive and get them the help that they would request,” Franz said.
SOME STUDENTS
HAVEN’T BEEN TESTED
Despite the attempts to inform the student-athletes about drug use and the consequences it can create, some students at Northwestern said they have noticed athletes using drugs. These students chose to remain anonymous not only to protect their identity, but also to protect student-athletes.
Despite this student being at Northwestern for four years, as well as playing on an athletic team for four years, the athlete has never been selected for a drug test. The Northwestern student-athlete handbook states that the drug testing for athletes is random, as a computer picks who will be tested. However, the student shared a different opinion about the randomized drug testing.
“I feel like they have a feeling who should be tested,” the student said. “I do not know if it is randomly picked or if they go based on who they know does what outside of practice and games.”
The student said they have smoked marijuana often but did not believe that it enhances their skills during a game.
“I believe that is it for recovery and post-workout or post-games,” the student said.
Another student, who also chose to remain anonymous, said they believe the drug tests occurred irregularly.
“I feel like it’s kind of random at times,” the student said. “I am not sure if they single anyone out. I think I have taken one drug test in my time here at NWOSU.”
This student was not sure about the official policy set in place by Northwestern, but the student said the student-athletes are usually told about what they are testing for in the drug test, whether it be marijuana or sports-enhancing drugs.
If an athlete fails a drug test and is under 21 years of age, Northwestern will contact the student’s parents or legal guardian to inform them of what the student tested positive for, the athlete said. If a student fails a drug test conducted by the NCAA, the student will be suspended from the sport and workouts for a calendar year.
Both students said they know other players on the university’s athletic teams who smoke marijuana, but they were unaware of other drug abuse by other students.
“I do smoke marijuana here and there,” one student, who chose to remain anonymous, said. “I do not think that I would be able to play my sport under the influence of a drug, but I do know some of my teammates say that it helps them stay focused during the competition.”
While marijuana is one of the major focuses of drug tests, another student-athlete said they do not know how long that will last.
“Marijuana is becoming more normalized and legal around the world,” one of the students, who chose to remain anonymous, said. “I think that policies and tests related to marijuana use will start to become less strict and tested for less over the years to come.”
A third anonymous student-athlete said they did not personally use drugs, but they knew other athletes on campus who did.
OFFICIALS WORKING
TO KEEP COMPLIANCE
While some students are taking advantage of the infrequent drug tests, Jeremy Jones, the assistant director of athletics for compliance and student services, said he is doing everything he can to keep Northwestern aligned with the rules of the NCAA.
Despite only being at Northwestern for 10 months, he is making it a priority to keep the drug policies enforced.
“We take the drug policy very seriously here at NWOSU,” Jones said. “We follow precisely what is stated in our policy and do not change our policy for anyone who fails a drug test.”