FORT WORTH _ The White House national drug czar asked members of the Texas High School Coaches Association on Wednesday to help expand recently mandated steroid testing to include street drugs.

"You should be congratulated as leaders," said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "But I come here to request that you make the steroid test broader _ to include additional panels top screen for drugs of abuse."

While the UIL is trying to finalize the details of a newly enacted state law that requires statewide steroid testing of high school athletes, Walters asked for a special audience before the THSCA, which brought 10,000 coaches to Fort Worth this week. Walters addressed the THSCA board and several thousand members during its annual meeting.

Walters stressed steroid testing should be part of the "fabric" of testing but national data shows street drugs are much more of a potential problem than steroid abuse. The state legislature will be spend $2 million to initiate a steroid testing program that will start in September or October of the coming school year.

Walters said randomly drug testing students has been upheld by the Supreme Court as long as it is done confidentially and not as a form of intimidation or punishment. Walters said the possibility of a student being drug tested is an "extra shield" for the student to abstain from ever starting drugs.

Several school districts around the state have had drug testing policies for abused prescription and street drugs as well as steroids. But the Texas state legislature to require statewide testing for steroids. The cost and scope of testing has been the primary stumbling blocks toward testing said THSCA officials. 

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