Like many other high-school athletes, athletes at IHS are exposed to many illegal substances. While the consumption of such substances is strictly forbidden, many students still partake regularly in recreational drug and alcohol use.
Through an anonymous poll, it was found that more athletes than one would think are active or past users. Out of a random sample of 83 athletes, 34 admitted to having done drugs or alcohol within their respective seasons.
Some individuals came forward admitting that they had even experimented with hard drugs; drugs such as cocaine, LSD, molly, ecstasy, and acid were all mentioned. The most common drug used was marijuana, with 34 active users in the past three months.
Every student that had done a more severe drug than marijuana as well as alcohol had also done marijuana. Listed below are some of the more interesting responses that were given, as well as a table providing the poll’s results:
Q: “When was the last time you smoked marijuana or drank alcohol?”
A: “I smoked weed with my friends yesterday.”
Q: “When was the last time you smoked marijuana or drank alcohol?”
A: “I smoke weed regularly.”
Q: “What are all the drugs you have done in your lifetime?”
A: “Let me think … molly, cocaine, PCP, LSD, ecstasy, and weed.” (this particular individual accounts for much of the hard drug use shown in the poll)
How Many Use Drugs?
| Marijuana | 43 |
| Marijuana and cocaine | 3 |
| Marijuana and molly | 3 |
| Marijuana and LSD | 1 |
| Marijuana and ecstasy | 1 |
| No drugs | 49 |
While these staggering results obviously point to a high level of substance abuse amongst student athletes, there are also more in-depth questions to be raised. For one, do student athletes use drugs more or less than regular students?
Although there is currently no statistical data, Mr. Trumble ventured an estimate that “student athletes probably experiment [with] or use drugs on par with non-athlete students.” Certainly this must be true, but do student athletes have even more of a tendency to use or experiment with these substances?
Trumble said that student athletes probably use drugs and alcohol slightly more than non-athlete students, citing that sports-related parties are arguably the grounds in which most alcohol and drug use takes place. According to our poll, around 41 percent of those surveyed said they have used marijuana. The Community Coalition for Health Youth’s survey results from 2014 show that around 30 percent of 12th graders in Tompkins County reported use of marijuana. It also stated that use by local youth is higher than national rates.
In addition, he said that athletes are naturally seen as icons—even in a small setting like high school—so when a star athlete shows up at a party, the pressure on that athlete to do a kegstand is exponentially higher than it would be for any average Joe. Although many athletes distance themselves in an effort to keep their performance at the highest level, the number of those who do use marijuana is alarming.
“Ithaca has a problem concerning drugs and their availability,” Trumble added, “and is what I would call, generally, a community with a more relaxed atmosphere than other communities in the surrounding area.” He added that student athletes in Ithaca are certainly more exposed to substances than those in other areas, and as a result of this magnified exposure, it is likely that student-athlete drug use in our area is higher as well.
For the same reason, student athletes in Ithaca are also very susceptible to addiction. While the Athletic Code of Conduct outlines clear punishments for drug and substance-related infractions, it doesn’t prevent all student athletes from abusing drugs, Trumble said.
When dealing with talented student athletes who suffer from addiction, Trumble believes the issue must be dealt with using care and close involvement from all those involved—including the coach. “For us to just throw them off a team for eternity, we might be missing an opportunity to help save somebody,” Trumble said.
Trumble said that he has always held student athletes to a higher standard than non-athlete students, as athletes have a higher expectation of poise and responsibility as representatives of the school.
Still, questions remain to be answered. With all things considered, how much is too much? Where must the line be drawn? Should the school and administration overlook the horrifically real problem of addiction in sports merely to follow a code of conduct? Additionally, is the use of alcohol and drugs by student athletes necessary, or at the very least unavoidable, as a means of offloading the stress that comes with their role in the student body?
What Trumble has to say on the matter is perhaps the most astute assessment of the issue yet: “Young people really need to understand how to leverage their body for their own gain, their social and emotional well-being, and their sense of longing for their school, and recognize the ill effects that drugs have on them.”