Everybody involved in school sports – athletes, coaches, administrators, trainers and parents – should keep great distance from any pill, injection, salve or nutritional supplement that is promoted to enhance athletic performance, if for no other reason than it’s the law.

In 1990, the Michigan Legislature enacted Public Law 31 which requires athletic service providers – including both educational and recreational athletic facilities – to post notice that warns that any person who uses or knowingly possesses an androgenic anabolic steroid violates Michigan law and is punishable by imprisonment and fine.

Michigan public school employees and volunteers are prohibited by Public Law 187 of 1999 from promoting or supplying dietary supplements which carry claims of enhanced athletic performance.  The law covers androstenedione, creatine and any compound labeled as performance enhancing.

Public Act 215 of 2006 requires all public school districts and academies to include in their local codes of conduct that possession or use of any National Collegiate Athletic Association banned drug is not permitted and shall subject the student to the same penalties that the school district has established for possession/use of tobacco, alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs.  For the purposes of this section, the Michigan Department of Community Health is to develop, periodically update and make available to school districts, public school academies and nonpublic schools a list of performance-enhancing substances.  The Department of Community Health is to base the list on the list of banned drugs contained in the Bylaws of the NCAA.

For more on student-athlete health and safety, click on Health/Safety under Coaches at the bottom of this page.