Most parents support random performance-enhancing drug tests in high school

Three out of four parents support random testing of high school athletes for performance-enhancing drugs, but less than half believe there should be individual penalties for those who test positive, according to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital's National Poll on Children's Health.

The poll results, released November 17, also show that nearly one out of ten parents of a high school athlete knows someone under 18 who has tried performance-enhancing drugs.

The findings come from a nationally representative household survey administered in August 2008 that include 332 parents with high school athletes.

Other statistics include:

• 57% of parents have talked with their children about performance-enhancing drugs.

• 97% of parents believe that high school coaches should be required to communicate the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

• 76% of parents believe schools should be required to report the number and percentage of positive tests to the state.

• 43% believe individual names of athletes of who test positive should be reported.