79R15770 JLZ-D

By:  Flynn                                                      H.C.R. No. 167



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS,  Recent congressional hearings into the use of 
anabolic steroids by high-profile professional athletes have 
highlighted widespread concerns about the prevalence of such 
substance abuse, including the degree to which the practice has 
filtered down to high school athletes and even to younger middle 
school students influenced by older role models; and
	WHEREAS, Although these steroids are known to have numerous 
adverse physical and psychological side effects, this knowledge has 
done little to deter use of the drugs by athletes at all levels of 
competition seeking a shortcut to becoming bigger and stronger or 
to gaining a competitive edge on the field, court, or track or in 
the pool; and
	WHEREAS, In the past, steroid use was a phenomenon largely 
confined to competitors in collegiate, Olympic, and professional 
sports; today, however, steroids are being used by athletes and 
nonathletes alike in high schools and even in middle schools across 
the country, and evidence suggests that steroid use among 
teenagers, and especially among aspiring athletes, is a large and 
growing problem; and
	WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, more than 500,000 high school students have tried 
steroids, nearly three times the number just 10 years ago; the most 
recent survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 
found that more than 40 percent of high school seniors described 
steroids as fairly easy or very easy to obtain; and
	WHEREAS, That same NIDA survey, Monitoring the Future 2004, 
found that the percentage of students who perceived steroid use as 
harmful fell from 71 percent in 1992 to just 56 percent in 2004; 
this diminished perception of harm is especially worrisome, since 
steroids are particularly dangerous to adolescents at this stage in 
their development; and
	WHEREAS, Even small doses of the drug can stop growth 
prematurely, and the risk of permanent physical impairment is 
compounded by the fact that adolescents who use steroids also may be 
at risk of becoming dependent on the drug and are more likely to use 
other addictive drugs and alcohol; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature currently is considering 
measures to implement steroid testing programs for students engaged 
in extracurricular activities, but more information regarding the 
extent of the problem statewide would enable the legislature to 
address the issue with a more comprehensive approach; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house 
of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the 
issue of anabolic steroid use and abuse in Texas public schools; 
and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be 
governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim 
committees as the 79th Legislature may adopt and that such rules and 
policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the extent 
of any conflict; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including 
findings and recommendations, to the 80th Texas Legislature when it 
convenes in January 2007.