CSI athlete sold steroids to teammates

Billy-Bob Ward, a baseball player from the College of Southern Idaho, was recently arrested on felony charges for allegedly selling anabolic steroids to many of his Golden Eagle teammates.

Arrest of the 21-year-old Las Vegas native was the culmination of an Idaho State Police investigation.

From Kboi2.com:

College of Southern Idaho Athletic Director Joel Bate was clearly shocked by the news.

"We're obviously disappointed. We are embarrassed, but we are going to educate ourselves, and our staff. To educated our teams, to set up testing now that this is a reality that we never thought was a reality," said Bate.

Like most junior college programs, The College of Southern Idaho does not require steroid testing though it does have a recreational drug test in place.

Steroid use discourage bill receives approval

The legislation meant for curtailing the use of anabolic steroids by student-athletes received final legislative approval by the full Assembly by a vote of 74-2 and will now to the desk of the Governor.

The bill will require all public school coaches and non-public interscholastic sports, dance, and cheerleading coaches to incorporate a gender-specific program designed for minimizing the use of steroids, alcohol and other drugs and for promoting healthy nutrition and exercise into the team’s training regimen.

From NJtoday.net:

The bill (S-834/A-2454) would codify recommendations from the 2005 Governor’s Task Force on Steroid Use and Prevention, establishing measures to deter the use of steroids and other performance enhancing supplements in middle school and high school athletes.

“Many teenage athletes may view steroids as a quick way to get to the top of their game, without thinking about or even being aware of the consequences,” said Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex). “Improving how we educate them about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs will help keep them healthy now and years down the road.”

Under the bill, the state Department of Education (DOE) and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) would work jointly to develop and implement – by the 2010-2011 school year – a program of random steroid testing of student athletes who qualify to compete in championship tournaments sanctioned by the NJSIAA.

“Coaches as well as student athletes need to fully understand the dangers of steroid use and abuse,” said Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex). “The earlier we can impress this on our student athletes, the better their health – both mental and physical – will be as adults.”

Two additional drug classes banned in Breeder’s Cup

The Breeder’s Cup recently added to additional classes of drugs to strengthen the integrity of the competition and help protect the athletes at the two-day world championships to be held at Santa Anita on November 6 and 7.

Drugs are divided into five classes based on their action, ability to influence the outcome of the race, ability to influence a horse’s performance, presence of any therapeutic uses or evidence of substance abuse.

Usual doping tests include anabolic steroids testing, EPO (erythropoietin) test which is usually conducted ten days before the event and milkshake testing or TCO2 test.

New additions are the Class 1 drugs, which include opiates, opium derivatives, and synthetic opioids, psychoactive drugs, amphetamines and amphetamine-like drugs.

Class 2 drugs include lidocaine, epogen, caffeine and snake venoms.

Trainers of these horses that will test positive for these two classes of drugs will be subject to a one-year suspension. Those who will fail the test three times will be banned for a lifetime in the Breeder’s cup. Meanwhile, a failed EPO test will also result to a trainer’s suspension and banning of the horse from joining any event. A failed TCO2 test will also result to suspension and purse redistribution.

From The Canadian Press:

"The establishment of these new regulations strengthens our number one priority of preserving the integrity of our competition and protecting the welfare of our athletes at the world championships," Breeders' Cup president and CEO Greg Avioli said Monday.