Ridgefield High School

CIAC - CHEMICAL HEALTH POLICY AND REGULATION
Effective:  February 5, 2007

4.0        ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION 

4.15.E. Chemical Health Policy and Regulation

The CIAC recognizes the use of chemical substances as a significant health problem for many adolescents, resulting in negative effects on behavior, learning, and the total development of each individual.   The misuse and abuse of chemical substances affects extra-curricular participation and the development of related skills.  Misuse and abuse of chemical substances by family members, team members and other significant persons also has a negative effect on adolescents. 

The CIAC is committed to the ideal of fair play and equitable competition at all CIAC contests.    This ideal stands as the foundational concept which guides significant and long-standing regulations such as, the age rule, recruitment, transfers, and others.  These regulations exist to ensure that, as much as is possible, high school athletics are conducted in such a fashion that no individual athlete or team has an unfair advantage over its competitors. CIAC recognizes that the use and abuse by athletes of performance enhancing substances must be added to those behaviors which create an uneven playing field for student athletes and all athletic programs. The use of performance enhancing substances by an athlete can and does alter the outcome of athletic events and, in so doing, has a profound impact on other schools within the league and across the state.    

This policy has been developed to protect the health and safety of its member school student athletes, and to assure that no participant might be pressured to use performance enhancing drugs for the purpose of remaining competitive, or to gain a competitive advantage. The CIAC Chemical Health policy will establish an expectation that all member schools have a chemical health policy that requires all student-athletes playing in CIAC-controlled sports to be chemical free.

CIAC activities provide coaches and other athletic department personnel a unique opportunity to observe, mentor, confront, and assist young people.  The CIAC, therefore, strongly supports education and awareness training for adolescents in the use of chemical substances.

Each member high school shall submit to CIAC, on or before September 15 of each year, a copy of its written policy and procedures for dealing with the use, sale, or possession of alcohol or controlled drugs and alcohol, as approved by its board of education or other governing body. If no changes have been made the previous policy will remain in effect.

 The written policy and procedures must address how violations affect student-athletes and must contain the seven statements listed below. These statements can be incorporated into existing policy on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, such as is mandated by state statute, or included in the athletic handbook for students and parents.

1.                   A statement which designates that the policy and procedures apply to all CIAC controlled activities sponsored by the school and that participation in high school athletics is a privilege and not a right.

2.                   A statement that alcohol, stimulants, street drugs (including but not limited to marijuana, heroin, and cocaine) are addressed by the policy and procedures.

3.                   A statement that anabolic steroids, hormones and analogues, diuretics, and other performance enhancing substances are addressed by the policy and procedures and that the CIAC may impose sanctions beyond those applied by the LEA for use of these substances by athletes.

4.                   A statement that the school shall provide preventive and intervention educational programs for its student-athletes.

5.                   A statement which describes the types of prevention and intervention programs required for student-athletes prior to and during the sports season.

6.                   A statement which indicates which job functions in the school are responsible for the administration / enforcement / monitoring of the policy or regulations.  (Principal,  assistant principal, teacher, guidance, health personnel)

7.                   A statement which outlines the methods to be employed to ensure that all athletes and their parents are fully apprised of the policy and procedures.

The policy submitted by each school will be placed on file and available to CIAC Sports Committees, CIAC Eligibility Committee, CIAC Eligibility Review Committee, CIAC Board of Control, news media, and public in general. 

4.15.F.  CIAC Position on Food Supplements Including Creatine

The CIAC fully endorses the policies of the National Federation of State High School Associations regarding the use of food supplements by athletes.

School personnel and coaches will not dispense any drug, medication, or food supplement except as in accordance with Connecticut state law, district policy, and as prescribed by a student’s physician, dentist, physician assistant or advanced practice RN.  The order is to be on record in the school health office listing dose, time, and length of order, side effects and emergency contact.  There will also be a signed parental consent on file.

The use of any drug, medication or food supplement in a way not described by the manufacturer should not be authorized or encouraged by school personnel and coaches.  Even natural substances in unnatural amounts may have short-term or long-term negative health effects.

In order to minimize health and safety risks to student-athletes, maintain ethical standards, and reduce liability risks, school personnel and coaches may NEVER supply or recommend or knowingly permit students to use any drug, medication or food supplement for the specific purpose of enhancing their athletic performance.

4.15.G. CIAC Position on Steroids

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the national service organization to all 50 state high school athletic and activity associations as well as the District of Columbia, prohibits the abuse of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances by high school student-athletes.  Such use violates legal, ethical, and competitive equity standards, and imposes long-term health risks. Further, The NFHS supports prohibitions by educational institutions, amateur and professional organizations and governmental regulators on the use of anabolic steroids and other controlled substances, except as specifically prescribed by physicians for therapeutic purposes. The CIAC fully endorses this National Federation position on steroids. 

4.15.H. CIAC Position on Drug Testing

The CIAC Chemical Health Policy does not include any form of mandatory drug testing by member schools.  The CIAC strongly supports the concept of local authority in determining drug testing policies.  Each Board of Education / governing body reserves the right to voluntarily implement a drug testing policy for its athletes. Drug testing of high school athletes has been demonstrated to be an effective deterrent to the use of steroids and other illegal drugs.  With the use of proper safeguards drug testing is considered legal.  The CIAC recommends member schools use the NCAA and the USOC list of banned performance enhancing substances and practices when designing and implementing a drug testing policy.  The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) has sample drug testing policies LEA’s may wish to consider.

4.15.I.   Performance Enhancing Drugs Minimum Penalty

            The CIAC expects member schools to monitor their student athletes to assure that they are free of performance enhancing substances and to report any violations in a timely manner.

            A student-athlete who has been determined to have used, in or out-of-season, androgenic / anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing substances shall be declared ineligible for all CIAC-controlled activities for one hundred eighty (180) school days on each occurrence. The one hundred eighty (180) school day period of ineligibility commences on the day the CIAC Board of Control makes such determination. 

Any student athlete who refuses to submit to testing as part of a member school’s Board of Education-approved random drug testing policy shall be ineligible to participate in any CIAC-controlled activities. 

All CIAC contests/ games / tournaments / championships in which the offending athlete participated while under the influence of performance enhancing substances shall be declared forfeitures and all records will be expunged.