Coaches, student athletes and parents all have a need for accurate information about the use of chemicals and their effects. Often this information is either not available or written in a technical and confusing manner. This section presents an overview of the beliefs held by many athletes and other performers concerning the use of chemicals, and a summary of specific drug effects. The information can be provided to coaches, athletes and parents either as part of a meeting or in printed form as a handout.

Some athletes and other school activity participants believe that chemical use will aid in their training program or to give them a competitive edge during a contest. Others believe that chemical use after competition will help them to relax and recover to prepare for upcoming events, or just will have no effect on future performance. Still others believe that chemicals can medicate injuries so that they might return to action faster than waiting for the natural healing process to occur.

In order to help young people to make decisions about if, and when, they should use chemicals to help them succeed in athletics or other activities, let's examine some facts about each of these beliefs.