Who will foot the bill?
24 Jan 2013
News that a new schoolboy drug testing programme will be implemented this week was well received, but who will cover the costs?
A new testing programme, launched this week by the SA Institute of Drug-Free Sport, aims to eradicate a growing trend of steroid and drug use among teenagers in schools.
Schoolboy rugby players caught doping could be suspended for three months or more or face expulsion. Good news given that Rapport suggest that 18 out of 62 children independently tested in the past six months had positive results for drugs so dangerous they could lead to death.
Substances that will be prohibited include diuretics (which mask the presence of performance-enhancing drugs by flushing them out of the system), stimulants and steroids.
But this does not come cheaply …
The School Boy Rugby blog reports that the first five tests per school (at a cost of between R2 800 and R3 000 per internationally approved test) will be provided for free, but then it is up to the individual schools as to how many further tests they would like to carry out.
So for a school wanting to test just its 1st XV, it would cost them in the region of R30 000, and that would exclude the fringe players. Not to mention the other sports being played at the school.
Obvious solutions include the provincial unions picking up the tab, or getting a sponsor to cover the costs. But with unions under financial pressure, sponsors getting more difficult to come by, and more fun things like tours and pre-season camps to spend money on, will a great idea be hindered by prohibitive costs?
The following schools are hosting drug testing workshops in their regions:
- 29 January: Bishops (Cape Town, Western Cape)
- 29 January: St John’s (Johannesburg, Gauteng)
- 12 February: Kearsney (Botha’s Hill, KwaZulu-Natal)
20 Comments
24 Jan 2013, 07:07 am
outrageous costs … it has to be a government initiative then that is sponsored by the Lotto or something. If serious about cleaning up drugs as performance enhancing in schools then finance can’t be a restriction otherwise it’s just a PR stunt.
24 Jan 2013, 07:19 am
The one’s hiding behind the bicycle sheds at break time must be ****.ping themselves if the read the headlines ” schools to do drug tests” and misinterpret the meaning.
24 Jan 2013, 07:25 am
@keo-1: keo can your buddies at SASCOCK pay for this – it is outrageous that they fly around the world, first class, with their families, living it up in 5star hotels while telling athletes there is no money for anything.
Expose these pricks that the Keo used to do and get them to do right.
24 Jan 2013, 08:01 am
Schools will not pay this much money for drug tests. It is a great idea but at these costs schools will not volentary test players.
24 Jan 2013, 08:10 am
As per the norm nowadays are parents will probably have to foot the bill
24 Jan 2013, 08:31 am
I find it hugely ironic that Kearsney are hosting workshop.
In my Matric year, it was open knowlege that they were some of the biggest roid bunnies in KZN.
24 Jan 2013, 09:36 am
I agree that it should be a government run thing as it is for the protection of our kids.
24 Jan 2013, 09:41 am
Not worth it. This is a problem with society. The costs outweigh the benefits in this instance.
It’s the equivalent of giving a 12-pack to a depressive alcoholic to help him with depression.
24 Jan 2013, 14:58 pm
Drugs use amongst school rugby is massive. My son plays for one of the big rugby schools and over 60% of these boys use steroids. It’s easy for these boys to get as they sell it to each other. So I hope this program gets implemented and the necessary finance becomes available for these tests to be done. Listened to a radio interview a few weeks ago and it was said the largest drug use is with cycling and school boy rugby.
25 Jan 2013, 01:54 am
Expose these cheats………name and shame them
It should be a combined Govt, school, private enterprise and parent initiative.
A three mth ban is BS, they should be out for the season………….and the schools who are turning a blind eye should be fined or the team taken out of the league
25 Jan 2013, 02:54 am
@Pepe-9:
Wow…I’m blown away by your figure of 60%…really. Why do these kids want to stuff their bodies up by taking the easy route. This is definitely a serious problem.
25 Jan 2013, 04:45 am
@Pepe-9:
WOW 60%?!
@whatthe-10:
Agree but I think this whole ‘program’ is just a lot of hot air, talk a lot, test a few and hope for the best. Never going to work and/or change the attitute towards the use of it. This headache is not going away soon and is going to bite us in the arse before long.
@Te Rangatira-11:
Competition at school level are getting way to much emphasis I think, time to draw a line in the sand, take a step back, a deep breath or two and look at the reasons this happens in the first place.
One last point though, steroids are not cheap, where do the kids get the money to buy the stuff and why do I hear nothing about parents involvement in all this?
25 Jan 2013, 05:38 am
@Slartibartfast-12:
Yes Slarti, that is the right way to look at the situation.How do you break the cycle? Especially when some Parents encourage this type of thing..
25 Jan 2013, 06:06 am
@Te Rangatira-13:
Thinking about it, they should use the money they going to waste on testing the odd individual to educate the parents. I wonder how many parents know about the effects of steroid use on the human body? What about a 3 month ban on the kid and a large financial penalty for the parent, they can then use that money to do more testing…
25 Jan 2013, 06:07 am
@Slartibartfast-14:
PS Large financial penalty for the parent and even larger one for the school involved, lets see how many will turn a blind eye then.
25 Jan 2013, 12:13 pm
@whatthe-10: @Slartibartfast-12:
My son said to me about 2 weeks ago dad look how easy it is to get roids. He BBM’ed someone and said I need Decca how much? And the response came back immediately : ‘R500 a hit.’ Its terrible and unfair for the kids who want to play fair.
25 Jan 2013, 12:14 pm
It has to be done regardless of costs
25 Jan 2013, 12:17 pm
@Slartibartfast-12: @Te Rangatira-11:
Guys 60% is my own estimation I may be wrong. The boys take it now during the off season and by the time the season starts the drugs are already out of their system.
25 Jan 2013, 15:26 pm
I was drug tested recently along with about 100 other men while working in the Middle East. The tester brought the wrong kit apparently but the good news was that not one of us was found to be pregnant!
25 Jan 2013, 15:28 pm
@Fatflanker-19:
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