10 reasons why drugs, alcohol and/or supplements are still an issue in athletics

1)      In a 2009 study, the use of Marijuana amongst NCAA student-athletes had increased by nearly 2 points over a period of 4 years. 22.6 percent of respondents claimed to have used Marijuana within the last 12 months.

2)      The NCAA reported a 5.6 percent rise in alcohol consumption since 2005, with 83.1 percent of respondents reporting drinking alcohol in the past 12 months.

3)      Nearly 4 percent of NCAA student athletes surveyed had used anabolic steroids, ephedrine or amphetamines at some point in time during their college career and 5 to 12 percent of male high school students had used anabolic steroids by the time they were seniors.

4)      Recent surveys have found that 1 in 9 high school seniors have used synthetic marijuana marketed as “K2” and “Spice” in the past year.

5)      Poison Control Centers operating across the nation have recently reported over 5,500 calls relating to synthetic marijuana as of October 31, 2011 (almost double the number received in all of 2010). There were also 6,138 calls in 2011 regarding exposure to “bath salts”, up from 304 in 2010.

6)      Tobacco use is still considered the #1 preventable cause of death in the U.S., yet during a survey of nearly 20,000 NCAA athletes (since 2005):

a.       Over 8% of male athletes admitted to smoking cigarettes and close to 8% admitted to chewing tobacco in the last 12 months.

b.      Nearly 7% of female athletes admitted to smoking cigarettes and close to 2% admitted to chewing tobacco in the last 12 months.

7)      Recent surveys have found that there are over 30,000 dietary supplements on the market and the industry is generating more than 26.7 billion dollars a year.

8)      Dietary supplements are regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994; under this act, it is up to the manufacturers to ensure the safety and accuracy of the ingredients listed in their dietary supplements before being marketed to the public.

9)      From studies on over 10,000 athletes, 46% of athletes admitted to using dietary supplements.

10)   Several student-athletes have experienced side effects and/or died in the past year due to use of alcohol, drugs and/or dietary supplements.

As data would suggest; drugs, alcohol and/or dietary supplements are still an issue in athletics. As adults and professionals, it is our job to make sure that we are educating our student-athletes and providing them with the tools they need to make healthy decisions when faced with the temptations of using these products and/or drugs. Tools like myPlaybook and the Resource Exchange Center (REC) can give student-athletes a better understanding of the issues surrounding drugs, alcohol and dietary supplements; all of which can help them make more educated decisions on a day-to-day basis. Over the next several weeks, we will explore in depth each of the reasons listed above for why I think the consumption of these products are still an issue in athletics.

What are YOU doing for your student-athletes?

Until next time…