NCAA year-round drug testing began last month. A number of changes have been made to the program to enhance its effectiveness and to improve its administrative processes and collection protocols.

To deter the use of stimulants as a training aid, ephedrine will be included in the year-round drug-testing program.

Ephedrine is a compound found in many dietary supplements taken to lose weight and is a powerful central nervous system stimulant. This stimulant often is sold in conjunction with caffeine and aspirin (commonly referred to as an "ECA stack"). The combination of two or more stimulants such as ephedrine and caffeine can cause adverse health consequences such as nausea, tremors, rapid heart rate and even death.

The NCAA year-round drug-testing program is designed to deter the use of performance-enhancing drugs that are taken during both the training and playing season. Traditionally, anabolic steroids have been the focus. However, with the proliferation of over-the-counter dietary-supplement products, athletes have been bombarded with messages that stimulants can provide a quick boost of energy before a workout or can speed up the loss of weight or body fat. Stimulant use combined with exercise is a dangerous combination made even more dangerous when rapid dehydration sets in.

Athletes can learn more about the effects of ephedrine and other stimulants by accessing www.drugfreesport.com/choices.

Anabolic steroid testing will continue in Division II baseball at least through December 2002 under a pilot program started by the Division II membership in January 2002. Unlike the pilot that ran in second semester 2001-02 whereby two baseball steroid tests were "borrowed" from the 14 football tests per school, this year's pilot will test four baseball athletes, and 14 football athletes will be tested in the regular year-round program. The pilot is being extended to gather additional information as to whether Division II baseball should be included permanently in the year-round testing program. Questions regarding the implementation of the baseball pilot program should be directed to The National Center for Drug Free Sport at info@drugfreesport.com or 816/474-8655.

The new 2002-03 NCAA Drug-Testing Program is available online at www.ncaa.org/
library/sports_sciences/drug_testing_program/2002-03. The publication was mailed to the membership recently and additional copies are available by contacting the NCAA. Coaches, student-athletes and administrators should review revised protocol for specimen collection and for appeals of positive drug tests. Student-athletes will find one protocol change to their liking. NCAA specimen collectors now may manage the packaging of the specimen under direct observation of the student-athlete. Under previous protocols, only the athlete could pour and package the specimen -- a slow and sometimes unpleasant process.

Last year, drug-testing site coordinators were introduced to the first phase of the Secure Collection Automated Network (SCAN). SCAN provided site coordinators a simple online method via a secure, password-protected Web site to provide calendars and administrative contact information to The National Center for Drug Free Sport. This year, site coordinators will use SCAN to receive drug-testing notifications, transfer squad lists and receive testing rosters.

Beginning this month, SCAN will be fully operational on site at all NCAA year-round drug-testing events. NCAA collection crews, using hand-held computers, will gather all collection-related data (including signatures) with bar-code scanners and software designed for sports drug testing. SCAN reduces paperwork errors and will expedite the collection process.

Frank Uryasz is the director of The National Center for Drug Free Sport.