A new drug policy has been put into effect by the Athletic department. PSU athletes may now be randomly drug tested according to this new policy. The Athletics Council developed this policy with an educational component for student awareness.
This policy is designed to educate athletes about the dangers of substance abuse and help them, rather than just as a method to reprimand students. There are complexities in the component of drug testing as well, because it has not been decided how athletes will be randomly tested.
PSU was the last institution in its conference to have a drug policy for athletes. The Athletics Council devised a policy, which was reviewed by President Steen and a legal counsel, and is now in effect.
At the core of the policy is the educational component, which was announced to the athletes and staff in the Foley gym. Since the policy has been put into effect, a large number of young women have come forward asking about daily supplements. The PSU drug policy coincides with the NCAA policy, which can be found on the NCAA website.
“Our intention is not to be punitive,” said John P. Clark, the Director of Athletics. “This year we wanted to concentrate on issues related to drugs and other banned substances,” he added. In the past the Athletic Department has focused on things such as relationships and diversity. This year was no better time to create a policy about drugs, since PSU previously had none.
With the policy in place, testing is a part of it. However, there are legal implications with random drug testing, as to what constitutes randomness. This has yet to be decided by the Athletics Council. A Representative for faculty and students spent a lot of time reviewing other college and university drug policies before creating the PSU policy.
The educational component is the heart of this new policy, not the random drug testing. Students with reasonable suspicion, however, may be tested. “This is intended to be supportive, proactive, and educational,” said Clark.
Previous to the current policy, the only drug testing which occurred was for teams who made it to the NCAA post-season tournaments. There was nothing educational about that and was purely punitive in nature. If an athlete does not past a drug test for a NCAA tournament, the punishment is severe. They may be banned from the sport for twelve months.
The PSU policy is not as extreme as the NCAA policy. If student athletes are struggling with drugs, a safe-harbor is available for students to seek help before they are tested. The policy is not in its full-blown size, as it has not been determined how the students will be randomly tested and there is a cost component associated with drug testing.
The new drug policy is intended to educate students about the dangers of substance abuse and open up dialogue so that they feel safe talking to their teachers and peers. Athletes will be updated as the policy progresses to its full capacity.