At Okemos High School, student athletes know there is a three strikes policy if caught using performance-enhancing drugs, said Athletic Director Keith Froelich. Steroids are addressed specifically in the handbook, he said.
But Michigan lawmakers want all public schools to draw a clear line against the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
"There's a lot of money in this business, and there's a lot of reasons to want to be bigger, stronger or faster," said state Rep. Dan Acciavatti, R-Chesterfield Township, who introduced a bill to the Michigan House that would require a student-athlete's eligibility to be affected by the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
It would also require the Michigan Department of Community Health to provide an updated list of substances and information to all schools.
Michigan is one of several states reviewing policies of steroid use among high school athletes after controversy surrounding the use of steroids in professional athletics.
In Connecticut, a lawmaker proposed an amendment to a bill that would require steroid education for student-athletes. In Florida, Minnesota and Texas, legislation is pending that would require steroid testing in high schools.
Michigan athletes need information on how serious the consequences of using these drugs are, Acciavatti said.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has recommendations but does not have strict rules governing all schools, Acciavatti said.
But the association doesn't have the power to create rules of conduct for school athletic programs, spokesman John Johnson said.
"We support the notion of anything that fights the use of controlled substances," he said.
If the bill were passed into law, schools would still have the power to enforce individual policies, Johnson said. He did not know if legislation would be the answer to the problem but said it might help.
"It might heighten awareness among parents and students to alert them as to the perils of performance-enhancing drugs," Johnson said.
The Michigan Department of Community Health has distributed information to high school students about specific date-rape drugs in the past, but this is the first time the department would distribute specific information about the dangers of steroids, department spokesman T.J. Bucholz said.
"Steroids do have some truly medical applications, but using them as an enhancer, that's not a business high schools should be in," Bucholz said. "An across-the-board rule to all districts will help curb use and abuse of steroids."
Froelich said he didn't know how schools would enforce the ban. There is a high cost and many legal issues surrounding the testing for these drugs, he said.
Froelich said he did not believe there is a steroid-use problem at Okemos High School but said it would be difficult to know for sure because the school does not test.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
