MD Schools To Start Drug Testing Students
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Students will be randomly tested for drugs this school year, according to a new plan.
On Wednesday, the Miami-Dade County School Board announced plans to test high school students at random for performance enhancing drugs or steroids.
The school board said the pilot program starts this year.
Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the goal is to stop the use of steroids for athletes and ultimately try to find the dealers preying on kids.
Click here to watch Cynthia Demos' report.
"There is always an adult culprit behind these issues," said Carvalho.
The announcement comes just a day after seven people were arrested for running a clinic in Coral Gables that pushed performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).
READ: Federal Charges Filed In Miami-Based MLB Steroid Scandal
The Biogenesis Clinic distributed PEDs to Major League Baseball (MLB) players and local high school students.
The investigation on the Biogenesis center is what rocked MLB and led to the 211 game suspension of baseball star, Alex Rodriguez.
The timing, however, said Carvhalo is just a coincidence but he said the high school students investigated with the Biogenesis Clinic were not in public schools.
"This was focused on private school nonetheless we wanted to be proactive in Miami-Dade County Public Schools," said Carvalho.
The pilot program starts in about two weeks when school begins. It requires parental consent and the test would be non-invasive.
"At the end of the day, this is about safe guarding our kids," said Carvalho.
Parents gave the plan mixed reviews. Some said there is no harm if there is nothing to hide while others said it is an invasion of privacy.
Carvhalo wouldn't say how many kids would be tested but he did say the testing will be contracted out.
While the pilot program this year focuses on high school students, it could expand later into middle schools.
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