Campus athletes to undergo drug testing this year

This year is the first year that the school will randomly test its athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. Although the NCAA tests for performance-enhancing drugs at their championships, individual universities are not required to test their athletes. “[Drug testing] has been going on for a while in football and track and field, but now its being tested for in all our athletes,” Athletic Director Ken Riley said. Drug testing has always been a hot topic in sports. The topic has caught newspaper headlines, but never as much as it has in the last couple of years, with more and more athletes admitting their use of legal stimulants.FAMU has decided to enact this policy for several reasons. “Any type of drug enhancement is clearly against NCAA rules, and we’re trying to level the playing field,” said head trainer Akima Dina. “We are trying to eliminate any unfair advantage over another athlete.” Athletes have mixed emotions about the drug testing. “I feel it should be done, it’s not right for athletes to take drugs,” said John Torres, 21, a junior from El Paso, Texas. “It would (stop people from using drugs) because if they were on scholarship they would have to stop playing or choose to lose their scholarship for drugs,” said Josh Ohohuju, 18, a freshman from Satsuma. However, according to some athletes, drug testing will not change anything.”No, its not gonna stop anyone,” said Abdul Foster, 18, a freshman from Albuquerque, N.M. “There is so much stuff out there that can cover these drugs up.” “There is always one person who does what they want to do,” Torres said. Ohohuju and Foster agreed that they would not use these drugs even if they knew they couldn’t be caught “I wouldn’t use that stuff, its bad for your body” Foster said. Ohohuju said: “I’d know that I couldn’t beat someone myself and I’d feel kind of bad knowing that I had to use drugs to win.” Dina said Rattler athletes have been advised that taking these drugs are wrong and that they can cause problems later in life. William Brown can be reached at Willbits48@aol.com.