Drug Testing Effectiveness in Identifying and Preventing Drug Use

Abstract

The effectiveness of drug testing in identifying and preventing drug use was assessed by a study of intercollegiate athletes required to participate in a urine testing program. Five hundred athletes who underwent testing were contrasted with a comparison group of 124 athletes not tested. Results show that some drug-using athletes avoided detection. Although many reduced their drug usage, some continued in the same pattern as before; a few actually increased drug usage.