Testing alone won't solve high school alcohol and drug abuse problems

We hear often of professional athletes who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse issues. But in almost every situation, these players did not suddenly turn pro and develop an appetite for chemicals. It's part of a culture of use and abuse that can often be traced back to college and even high school.

I know this culture firsthand. I began drinking in high school, where I played football. My alcohol consumption escalated in junior college and later at the University of Nebraska. But things seemed good. I started on Nebraska's first-ever national championship team and was later drafted by the Bears in 1971. Not only was I a good offensive lineman for the Bears, but I was also a well-seasoned alcohol abuser by the time I got to the NFL. No one along the way recognized the signs of my problem or cared to address them with me.

Mount Zion High School district officials recently approved a plan to require student-athletes and others participating in extra curricular activities consent to be tested for drugs and alcohol before they can even participate in various activities. It's a good move, and other districts will hopefully follow suit.

It complements the drug testing program the Illinois High School Association has had in place and tweaked since 2008-2009. But it's not a total solution to the problem of alcohol and drug abuse among athletes.

Here's what needs to be done to better address the issues and develop a better culture to prevent use and abuse of alcohol and drugs among high school athletes.

Education - High school officials have long debated whether drug testing is better than education. The fact is both are good preventive measures, but the education portion needs to be better. Student-athletes need to be reminded repeatedly of the dangers of use and abuse and how alcohol and drugs adversely affect their ability to reach their athletic potential.

Awareness - School officials need to be better trained and educated to recognize signs of drug and alcohol abuse. Not all problems are related to alcohol and drugs, but the first step should be some type of assessment that confirms or rules out the use of alcohol or drugs. And if an assessment indicates drug or alcohol use, officials need to fully understand where students can get proper help they need and point them in that direction.

Attitude - What does a coach do if he learns his star running back who rushes for more than 100 yards each Friday also happens to have a drinking problem? It's not easy to address this issue, particularly when there's a star athlete involved. But coaches need to take stronger stances and let their players know alcohol and drug use will not be tolerated. Not only is such use illegal and damaging to the individuals partaking in such use, but this behavior potentially hurts the team's overall performance.

I never reached my full potential on the football field as a result of my abuse of alcohol and drugs. It's one of the messages I share, particularly with high school and college athletes, as I travel throughout the country on behalf of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. I also like to talk about my former teammate Walter Payton. Never did I see Walter consume an alcoholic beverage. Never did he show up for practice and appear hung over. I think we all know what this work ethic produced.

As student-athletes embark on a summer of training and prepare for their next athletic season, it's my hope they'll learn from my mistakes and together with their coaches create a cultural shift, one that no longer is so accepting of drug and alcohol use.

Bob Newton played for the Chicago Bears from 1971-1975 and the Seattle Seahawks from 1976-1981. Today he works with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, which has a facility on North Dearborn in Chicago.