Final results for NCAA drug testing for the 2003-04 academic year have been reviewed and approved for publication. Since the inception of the NCAA drug-testing programs, the NCAA has released annually aggregate results from the Association's testing programs. The data provide useful information for the NCAA's and colleges' drug-education and testing initiatives. However, the data should not be used to draw conclusions about the extent of drug use in any one sport or division. Instead, the NCAA's national drug-use survey may be used for those purposes.

Ephedrine testing

The NCAA expanded its year-round drug-testing program in August 2002 to include testing for the banned stimulant ephedrine. In 2003-04, the NCAA tested Division I football athletes (N=4,792), Division I men and women track/field athletes (N=1,848) and Division II football athletes (N=2,333) for anabolic steroids, manipulators (including diuretics) and ephedrine. There were no positives for ephedrine in the year-round testing, which is an improvement from the two positive ephedrine cases during the same period in 2002-03.

During the NCAA's postseason drug testing, there were 1,561 athletes tested from 23 sports in all three divisions. Those athletes were tested for drugs in all banned-drug classes. There were two positive cases of ephedrine, one in Division II women's basketball, and one in Division III women's volleyball.

Although there were changes in the federal regulation of ephedrine in 2004 and a court opinion in 2005 reversing that regulation, the NCAA will continue to ban the product. Ephedrine will remain a banned drug under the stimulant classification.

Amphetamine positives

The NCAA tests for the full range of banned stimulants at its championships and certified postseason football bowl games. The 2003-04 data show 11 positives for amphetamines, up from six in 2002-03. Amphetamine positives in most cases are the result of the use of prescription medications for the treatment of attention-deficit disorders. The NCAA allows for the limited use of selected banned substances through its medical-exceptions procedure. Athletes need to work with their schools' sports medicine staff to comply with the NCAA medical-exceptions process if a banned medication is prescribed.

The total number of positives (15) for banned stimulants including amphetamines and ephedrine in 2003-04 was the highest since 1997. Stimulant positives are up from 13 in 2002-03 and have been climbing over the last five years. The increase in positive cases most likely is due to the increased use of stimulants to treat attention disorders in the college population.

Anabolic steroid testing

There was a welcome reduction in the number of positive cases for anabolic steroids in 2003-04. The overall number of positives was 45, all of those occurring in year-round testing. This compares to a total of 82 in 2002-03, with 77 of those positives detected in year-round testing.

The number of year-round samples leading to a positive result for nandrolone continues to drop. Nandrolone positives are caused primarily by the use of injectable nandrolone (an anabolic steroid) or the use of the over-the-counter supplement norandrostenedione. The number of positives for nandrolone in the NCAA year-round drug-testing program hit a peak in the 2000-01 school year at 39 cases. In 2001-02, there were 34 positives for nandrolone, and 28 in 2002-03. There were 13 nandrolone positives in 2003-04. Officials aren't sure what accounts for the decrease in nandrolone positives; however, some believe that the educational initiatives to deter the use of OTC supplements might be a major factor in the reduction of positive cases.

The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports oversees the NCAA's drug-testing programs. Additional information on the NCAA's drug-testing programs can be found at www.ncaa.org/health-safety.