Steroid test urged for Florida high school athletes after link to Biogenesis, report says

The Florida High School Athletic Association announced plans Tuesday to crack down on athletes that may be using steroids after the agency learned last week that the same clinic that provided Major League Baseball players with performance-enhancing drugs also allegedly provided them to students.

"School districts simply cannot tolerate coaches who encourage or look the other way when they know student-athletes are using performance-enhancing drugs," Roger Dearing, the FHSAA executive director, said in a conference call.

"Therefore, these coaches should not be allowed by their school district policies to influence and coach these students in the future. It's more about safeguarding fair play and saving students' lives," he said.

The Miami Herald reported that the agency is putting together an advisory committee of 16 people to come up with an idea for a new testing policy. The paper viewed a partial list of high school clients, which includes two current high school seniors and five currently in college.

However, the tests don't come cheap. Each drug test costs $150; there are about 283,000 student athletes in Florida high schools.

The total costs of the tests could come to about $42 million a year, which everyone agrees is simply not possible.

The agency does say, however, that school districts need to test any student-athlete they suspect of using steroids, as well as punishing adults that allow it to happen.

This will be difficult for school districts to fund. However, the FHSAA said they think local businesses will step up to help as they have in the past.