High School Athletes Turning To Steroids
Steroids are hitting a part of school life that is so important to so many.
"If I wasn't playing sports, I don't know who I would be," high school senior Michael Paolucci told CBS News correspondent John Blackstone. "I wouldn't be anyone."
Paolucci, who is a senior at San Francisco's Lincoln High, sometimes wonders about the unusually big guys on other teams.
Has he ever been tempted to think, "Gee, if I put on a bit more muscle."
"Yeah, I've been tempted about that since, probably sophomore year when I came on varsity for football," he said.
On high school playing fields across the country, one big worry about steroids in professional sports is the example it sets for teenagers.
"It's sad to see, like, 'cause they're icons for a lot of kids - a lot of teenagers are like, 'wow, I want to be like that,'" said Cesar Bahena, another student.
While scores of pro athletes were identified today, in sheer numbers far more teenagers have turned to steroids.
"Hundreds of thousands of high school-aged young people are illegally using steroids," said former Sen. George Mitchell, who investigated doping for Major League baseball.
In fact, in 2005 almost 700,000 students admitted using steroids according to figures from the Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control.
The kids who do turn to steroids are taking big risks with their health, both physical and mental.
Steroids can damage the liver, make them feel invincible and stoke aggression says CBS News medical correspondent Dr. John LaPook.
"There's nothing scarier than a boy between the ages of 14 and 21 where you can have this dangerous confluence of physical strength and really poor judgment. Now throw some extra testosterone into that - watch out!" LaPook said.
Next year in California every high school coach will have to take a course in the symptoms and risks of steroids.
"By the end of '08, if you have not taken and passed this course, you will not be allowed to coach," explained Emmy Zach of the California Interscholastic Federation.
California high schools have decided testing for steroids is too expensive.
Each test can cost as much as $200, but in Texas, state authorities plan to spend $6 million over the next two years to screen as many as 25,000 students for steroid use.
The state's get-tough approach has the approval of many student athletes.
"I think it's a great idea just to make sure it stays out of the high school baseball league," said Reagan Blackman, a high school pitcher. "Just to keep it more pure baseball."
But the spread of steroids shows that keeping sports pure at every level can collide with the pressure of winning at any cost.