As economic woes ravage Florida, cutbacks in the state's public school system abound.
From teachers losing their jobs to the elimination of enrichment programs, the effects of the financial crisis have hit the Sunshine State hard.
The latest to receive the axe? Florida's pilot anti-steroid program for high school athletes.
According to a Gainesville Sun article, state officials blame the economy for having to eliminate the randomly administered testing.
The program cost the state $100,000 per year because of the steep price of $166 per test - all to find one athlete guilty of abusing performance-enhancing drugs.
In the wake of Alex Rodriguez's steroid admission as well as undeniable suspicion surrounding other athletes, the Editorial Board is not quick to dismiss the importance of random steroid testing for high school athletes.
Students in their mid-teens are highly impressionable individuals who may have no qualms justifying steroid use after seeing star athletes in professional baseball who made using the drug almost commonplace.
While only one high school student was caught using steroids, who knows how many others were deterred solely due to the risk of being randomly subjected to testing?
We realize that the state of Florida is strapped for cash and that any available funds should be directed into the classroom.
But don't think for a second that a fringe college prospect won't entertain thoughts of subjecting his body to steroids as a potential athletic scholarship hangs in the balance.
