Abstract:
Throughout the years, drugs have been a problem in college athletics. As a result, some of the NCAA Division I-A institutions have implemented mandatory drug education programs for their athletes that exceed minimum requirements set by the NCAA, while others have implemented programs with only minimal requirements. The focus of this study is to examine Division I-A institutions to see if they have mandated a drug education program for all athletes and determine the extent of the program. All NCAA Division One institutions that participate in Division I-A football were studied.Survey questions contained in this study were derived from extensive research in journals, dissertations, and other documents. A survey was sent to the athletic director and head trainer of all NCAA Division I-A athletic departments. The survey was completed on-line, or hard copies of the survey were available upon request. A customized database and web application was constructed to collect and analyze data through a web-enabled survey. Athletic directors had the opportunity to forward the survey to someone more qualified to respond to the survey questions. Analysis of the survey data revealed the frequency of NCAA Division I-A institutions that have a mandatory drug education program for all athletes and what it entails. The researcher guaranteed confidentiality and the survey took participants around five minutes to complete.Sixty-four percent of the responding institutions had a mandatory drug education program that exceeded minimal guidelines set forth by the NCAA. When asked if they had an effective drug education program, 64% of the responding schools answered positively. Only 20% of the responding schools had a mandatory drug education program designed as a class for academic credit. Of those schools, the class covered a vast array of life skills, drug information, group interactions, opportunities for counseling and had different purposes ranging from drug awareness to drug rehabilitation. Those most involved with designing the drug education program were trainers, counselors, and athletic directors. The main reasons given for not having a mandatory drug education program were the use of drug testing in lieu of the program or time and staff constraints and conflicts. Ninety-five percent of those responding had some form of drug treatment available for the student-athlete. When a student-athlete is accused of substance use/abuse, 81% of the schools do not retract the scholarship. The main concerns of drug education programs are alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and steroids, with little time allowed for supplements and/or designer drugs. An in-depth mandatory drug education program generally is designed for academic credit and the purposes are drug information, awareness, precaution, intervention, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.