Arguments for and against drug testing of intercollegiate athletes were put head-to-head Monday night in a debate organized by NIU’s Forensic Speech and Debate Team.

Two opposing teams with two members each presented cases regarding drug testing of athletes. Each member had seven minutes to present a case before being cross-examined by one of the opponents. The debate took place in the Holmes Student Center.

epresenting the pro side of testing, NIU student Doug Moore listed reasons why testing is needed to identify, as well as solve, a problem of drug abuse. He said athletes are more likely to be approached by dealers and should be tested to deter drug use.

“Fear is the best deterrent,” Moore said. Athletes face the fear of ruining their careers or losing their scholarships if discovered using drugs. He said spotting the intercollegiate athlete who uses drugs allows users to be counseled and rehabilitated before going to the professional level.

NIU student Sheryl Hoefler argued drug testing is not a solution. She argued for the “individual’s constitutional right of privacy” and said drug testing by observed urine sampling is an “unwarranted invasion of privacy.”

oefler said “Universities must come up with the least constricting alternative” for spotting the athlete user. Some suggestions included having coaches and trainers observe athletes for suspicious behavior. Also, drug awareness and education programs were suggested.

NIU student Chris Carroll, pro-testing team member, said it is unrealistic to ask coaches and trainers to “act as the role of a doctor to determine if an athlete uses drugs.” He said coaches are responsible for “maybe one hundred athletes” and could not accurately spot peculiar behavior.

In opposition to testing, NIU student Mark Byrd argued the costs of testing “run much deeper than dollars.” He said testing processes of today can be inaccurate. False negative results would allow an athlete to continue to use drugs while false positive results would be “much more consequential” by “putting a stigma” on the reputation of athletes who are not users, he said.