Alcohol and Drug Screening Guidelines

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Policy Number:

UW-614

Responsible Office:

Athletics

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

The Big Ten Conference began performance-enhancing drug testing in 2007. Testing is conducted year-round and at selected Big Ten Championships. The compliance office staff provides education regarding both the Big Ten and the NCAA drug-testing program during each sport’s organizational meetings at the beginning of each academic year.

The Athletic Department also conducts its own drug testing and education program for the welfare of student-athletes. The program was designed for the following reasons:

• Testing provides an early detection system for abusers of substances. Early detection and referral may reduce the number or extent of problems an abuser must overcome to return to full academic and athletic performance.
• It is a means to identify and educate student-athletes about the negative effects of drug use. Substance use can adversely affect a student-athlete’s health and academic and athletic performance. In addition, it can have manifestations in social and emotional behavior. The student-athlete, through individual counseling, can make a better decision concerning the non-use of substances.
• Testing acts as a deterrent to using. A student-athlete may choose not to experiment when faced with testing. It may provide the student-athlete with an additional reason not to succumb to peer pressure.
• The testing program places an emphasis on the non-use of drugs in athletics. The student-athletes, their parents, and the public can be assured that the Athletic Department adheres to high standards of student welfare and is willing to take reasonable measures to ensure those standards.

The Athletic Department, through an ongoing educational program, will continue to emphasize the health risks of all illegal and potentially harmful substances, including alcohol and tobacco. Additionally, the Athletic Department will not tolerate its employees encouraging student-athletes to use illicit substances (i.e., any illegal drug or banned performance-enhancing substance). Any Department staff member who distributes or recommends any student-athlete use illicit substances will be disciplined accordingly.

Policy:

Screening and Testing Program for Substance Abuse

Purpose

1. Educate student-athletes about the consequences of inappropriate drug use. Substance use can adversely affect the health, academic, and athletic performance of a student-athlete. It also can have manifestations in social and emotional behavior.
2. Provide an early detection system for abusers of substances. The student-athlete, through individual counseling and treatment, can make a better decision concerning the non-use of substances. Early detection and referral may reduce the number or extent of problems an abuser must overcome to return to full academic and athletic performance.
3. Act as a deterrent. A student-athlete who considers experimentation may choose not to do so when faced with testing.
4. Emphasize the non-use of performance-enhancing drugs in athletics. The student-athletes, their parents, and the public should be assured that the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics adheres to high ideals in competition and is willing to take measures to ensure those ideals.
5. Ensure institutional compliance with NCAA and Conference rules, as well as local, state, and federal laws. The reputation of the university, as well as the success of its intercollegiate athletic program, may be jeopardized by the actions of a few individuals.

Notification of Results

1. The athletic director or the director's designee will notify a student-athlete by return receipt registered mail of any positive results. If the student-athlete has a concern about a possible false-positive result, they must notify the athletic director or designee within one week from the date of receipt of the letter. The athletic director or designee will also try to notify the student-athlete of any positive results in-person or by telephone. The athletic director or designee will refer the student-athlete to the designated team physician who will discuss the student-athlete’s concerns, review and determine the circumstances and reliability of the test, and recommend whether it is necessary to repeat the test. The athletic director or designee will determine action based upon all possible findings.
2. The athletic director or designee, the head team physician, the designated team physician, the student-athlete’s coaches, and the student-athlete will have access to the initial results of the screening test. If the designated team physician determines the results are a true positive, the results will be disclosed to the counselor/referral agency.
3. Any action by the department that would affect athletic aid is subject to the same five-step process mandated by NCAA rules (See Section II.F on “Appeals”).

Corrective Actions

1. First Offense
   1. The student-athlete may be referred to a counseling and/or rehabilitation program by the designated team physician. The student-athlete, if directed, will be expected to contact the program or a private state-licensed treatment program within one week after being referred or provide a reasonable explanation to the designated team physician for failure to do so.
   2. The student-athlete may be subjected to non-random follow-up testing as designated by the designated team physician and/or testing based on reasonable suspicion.
2. Second Offense
   1. A second positive test result or failure of the student-athlete to comply with the program will ordinarily result in a minimum 30-day suspension from competition. The student-athlete will continue to have access to educational, medical, and other support programs of the Department. In unusual circumstances, the student-athlete may be excluded from training or other activities under the auspices of the Department.
   2. If the second offense is the result of testing based on reasonable suspicion, the student-athlete’s head coach may dismiss the student-athlete from the team. Athletic Department-sponsored financial aid may be revoked by the athletic director or designee.
3. Third Offense
   1. The student-athlete will be indefinitely suspended from all athletic activity under the auspices of the Athletic Department with the possibility of dismissal.
   2. Department-sponsored financial aid may be revoked by the athletic director or designee.
   3. The student-athlete who is suspended will continue to have access to educational, medical, and other support programs of the Department.

Failure to Comply with Drug Screening Program

1. The student-athlete may be suspended or expelled from activities under the auspices of the Athletic Department.
2. The student-athlete’s Athletic Department-sponsored financial aid may be canceled.
3. A student-athlete who does not report as directed for a drug test will be immediately suspended from all voluntary or mandatory athletically related activities. The student-athlete will be expected to submit an acceptable sample within 24 hours from the time of the student-athlete’s initial testing appointment. If a student-athlete fails to provide an acceptable sample within 48 hours of the student-athlete’s initial collection appointment, the student-athlete will be considered to have tested positive under this policy and applicable penalties for this positive test will be imposed as specified in the policy.
4. In the event a student-athlete is notified of a drug test and willfully and intentionally refuses to test or to make themself available for testing, the student-athlete will be suspended from the team and subject to dismissal.

Appeals

An Athletic Department action against a student-athlete for the student-athlete’s failure to comply may be appealed by the student-athlete in writing to the athletic director. Any action that would affect athletically related financial aid is subject to the five-step process mandated by NCAA rules. This includes an appeal to the faculty athletic representative and the Office of Financial Aid Review Committee.

Self-Referral Program

Consistent with the educational mission of the Screening Program for Substance Abuse, the Athletic Department has adopted a Self-Referral Program in order to encourage student-athletes to seek voluntary assistance for improper drug use or abuse. This is an individualized process designed to allow student-athletes, without fear of disciplinary action, to initiate the contact by which drug use or abuse issues are identified, confronted, and addressed through voluntary participation in assessment, medical evaluation, counseling, and education. The student-athlete is exempt from departmental sanctions while participating in this process. Student-athletes may avail themselves of the Self-Referral Program one time during their association with the Athletic Department.

Procedure:

The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics through an ongoing educational program will continue to emphasize the health risks of all illegal and potentially harmful substances including alcohol and tobacco. This is not limited to substances tested by the NCAA. The substances for which the student-athlete may be tested include the following:

• Stimulant
• Cocaine
• Marijuana (THC & Derivatives)
• Anabolic Steroids
• Opiates
• Barbiturates
• Alcohol

1. Testing Protocol
   1. The Athletic Director or designee will ensure that collection of samples is carried out in a manner suitable for reliability and confidentiality.
   2. The Athletic Director or designee will select a process consistent with cost effectiveness.
   3. The Athletic Director or designee will select the number and types of tests in coordination with the Athletic Department’s Department Head for Sports Medicine and the Head Team Physician or the assigned physician overseeing the drug testing program (“Designated Team Physician”).
   4. Random Testing: Specimens will be collected on a random basis throughout the year (in-season, out-of-season, and summer school). Random individual and/or random team testing will be performed as determined by the Athletic Department.
   5. Reasonable Suspicion: Specimens may also be collected based on reasonable suspicion. A student-athlete selected based on reasonable suspicion may be tested with or without notice. The Athletic Department’s Senior Staff member who oversees the Athletic Department’s Sports Medicine Department, in consultation with the designated team physician and the Athletic Director, will determine reasonable suspicion. Circumstances that may constitute reasonable suspicion include, but are not limited to, the following:
      1. Current or past involvement with the criminal justice system for drug- related activities.
      2. Admission of a current substance problem and unwillingness to enter into the Self-Referral Program described in Section F.
      3. Aberrant behavior.
2. Team Testing: The Athletic Director or designee, in consultation with the designated team physician, can request team testing at any time.
3. NCAA Qualifiers: The Athletic Department may screen athletes eligible for NCAA championship competition to provide an educational experience concerning the collection process and provide information on the NCAA program.
4. Collection of Urine Samples
   1. The athletic training staff will administer the collection under the direction of the Athletic Director or Designee.
   2. Collection will be done in a manner and at a time coordinated with the Athletic Department’s Athletic Training Staff. Therefore, the student-athlete may have an unannounced screening prior to the competitive season, during the competitive season, or after the competitive season.
   3. Coaches will help coordinate their student-athletes’ presence during screening by notifying student-athletes that the student-athletes have been selected for testing.
   4. Urine specimens will be obtained under observation until sealed and identified by a random number corresponding to the student-athlete’s name to ensure confidentiality. Information will be kept by the Athletic Department’s Head for Sports Medicine. All procedures for chain of custody will be followed as identified by the testing laboratory.
   5. The Athletic Department’s Head for Sports Medicine will have sole possession of the list of names and corresponding numbers. This information will be kept secure to avoid breaches of confidentiality.

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:

UW Director of Athletics

Policy Manager:

Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine

Contact:

Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine -- Michael Moll, mkm@athletics.wisc.edu, (608) 262-6134

Date Issued:

09-01-2019

Retrieved:

07-03-2022 16:21:21