Recreational drug testing....

[ph4ever]

Sports personalities are "supposedly" role models for kids.

Yup...here Jr. it's alright to smoke dope and snort coke as long as your not at work...your favorite sports star does it.

So are movie stars ........ teachers ..... they dont get tested ..... I am just saying these guys are being treated differently.

I don't like having to explain to my son why ANY public personality is caught in a shameful position.

I can only hope that a Teacher would be more of a role model than a sports personality or a movie star, heaven forbid I have explain why some Teacher or Coach got arrested for some offense or another.

The degree of fame doesn't change the message.

And we have to explain to my 9 year old nephew - why the person that is his most absolute idol is on the news for taking drugs and it was really sad when I talked to him on the phone yesterday how disappointed he is.

Talk about role models however, and I am sure there are more fathers out there doing this in front of their children - than sports stars that get caught - it is just sad .....

There is more to this story on our footballer - he has been fighting depression all his life - and as a male, was too scared to tell people - for fear of being ridiculed etc - so he fell in to drugs to escape the limelight (this guy has been classified as the best rugby league player in the world EVER - so you can imagine the publicity - and it is not limited to Australia - but England ... NEw Zealand etc).

I know it is not an excuse - but having been a sufferer of depression myself and the "stigma" that comes with it - I hope the fact that he has been able to come out in the public now and reveal his battle and his brother (another famous footballer) is also revealing sides of the story - that this might actually HELP the kids who worship him - those that are having issues etc - to go seek help ....

One can only hope .....

But I still stand by my line that these things do not do anythign to enhance their performance - I dont agree with the use of illegal drugs, but I do believe in equality - and we either all get tested or we dont ....
(except for those that have to fly planes ... drive trucks etc!)

Not sound disrespectful but what you're faced with in telling your nephew is nothing new to many parents here in the US. Drug use in professional athletes has been in the public light since the 1970's. This is a prime opportunity to talk to your nephew about the risks of taking drugs and what taking drugs can do to your life.

And not to be disrespectful but it also sounds as if you are coming up with every reason you can to excuse his behavior because you are a fan. Yes I'm sure that there are fathers out there that do drugs in front of their children.

And Yes it's a known fact that those suffering from depression tend to self medicate be it with drugs or alcohol.

The simple fact is Andrew Johns was BUSTSED - did a dope fiend move by saying "someone put it in my pocket" (kinda like Lindsey Lohan there)

I just check out the ASDA's website - there's quite a bit of deterrance resources there that has been available to all Australian athletes. From the looks of the website - all Australian athletes are subject to the anti doping rules for their respective sport and are all well aware of the consequences and requirements placed upon them. Johns is not the first rugby player to be suspended for drug use and I'm sure he won't be the last either.

No disrespect found - I realised there would be two sides to this when I posted it ......

Also - it is NO surprise to us from Newcastle about this bust - cause it has been a "known secret" for years that he hit the "stuff" in the off season - stories of him being found in bars in a drugged state were everywhere.

What is sad is that it seems that those officially in the "know" did nothing to help him - also know he has to help himself.

And no - not really making excuses - I have had this view on recreational drug testing for sports people long before this - I dont get tested to do my work - why should he if he is not working in the off season - its just a question of equality - not a question of whether he should have taken them or not - I dont think he should. He had to retire prematurely - I am sure the drugs had some contribution to this.

Now this guy is plastered all over the newspapers - 5 pages in the Sydney paper today - isnt there bigger news? I can understand it in Newcastle paper but in Sydney? There are thousands of people out of jobs for months because our racehourses have been hit by equine flu - that is bigger news that one individual .....

So - now his family fear he will take his life -because of all the publicity now - just let him go get his treatment - get well - then give it the publicity. It is not worth having someone take their life.

If I'm not mistaken hasn't there already been complaints withing the rugby leagues of some teams showing a form of favoritism towards certain players?

[12vmanRick]

Why are they illegal in the first place?

If it pi$$es off the potheads, I'm all for it in any case.

Look-if it were up to me, EVERYBODY who works with ME gets tested.
They don't like it, look for another job.
Screw 'em in the a$$.

Look up why Pot is illegal. It's because the cotton farmers felt threatened. If it was ONLY because it gets you high then why are ALL pot plants illegal and not only the female, the female is the ONLY one with enough THC to get you high.

I have no idea why pot is illegal-it IS, and I'm in a position of public trust which requires me to enforce ALL laws, whether or not I agree with them.
Public intoxication from alcohol is also illegal, and I KNOW why that is.
I don't need some boob driving on public roads or highways and jepordizing MY life, YOUR life, or anybody else's life, for that matter.
Do I drink? Yes.
Do I drive after "a few"? I have.
Am I a hypocrite? You tell me. If you tell me I am, I'll humbly swallow that pill.
All I know is that I've drivien home after 3-4 beers many times, no blacking out, no loss of memory, and, pretty much in control.
But if I ever had to take a sobriety test, I may have a problem.

As for the ILLEGAL stuff, I don't go out of my way to look for it, but, due to my position, if I DO find it on/with a person, I WILL be doing some paperwork.
Sorry. (Actually, no I'm not). But I think I'd rather get a person high on dope upset with me than the general public who've entrusted me to enforce the laws as written, whether I agree or not.
I work hard and I play hard, and, for a man of 55, I think I do a damn good job of both. I can HONESTLY say, with a straight face, that I've never consumed ANYTHING illegal, and my life has never been anything short of fantastic.
But, at work, when I have the badge on, I also have my game face on, and I take it very seriously.
My employers did not come looking for me to beg me to take the job.
Quite the opposite. For which I'm very greatful, and will do whatever it takes to show it.

I hope you understand MY perspective. Sorry if you don't-but I'm really not so bad.

I respect your right to your opinion I don't have to agree. I don't want people on the road blitzed out of their gord either but the war on drugs is a farce. For that fact so is the DUI laws in most states.

[Wino you know]

I respect your right to your opinion I don't have to agree. I don't want people on the road blitzed out of their gord either but the war on drugs is a farce. For that fact so is the DUI laws in most states.

The only problem with the D.U.I. laws, like so many OTHER laws, is they're rarely enforced.

[creeky]

If I'm not mistaken hasn't there already been complaints withing the rugby leagues of some teams showing a form of favoritism towards certain players?

You are not mistaken - but it is purely that they heard rumours of drug use. The players were tested the same as everyone else and never returned a positive test - so I am not sure what else they can do.

I guess there is one positive to come out of this - andrew Johns has now come out that he is bipolar and has been for all of his football career - drugs aside (which I do not agree with) it shows that someone can suffer from this and also reach the highest peak in sport.

That being said - I still dont agree with sports people being tested for recreational drugs if everyone else in other jobs is not - it does NOT enhance their performance and my boss pays big $$ for me to go to work as well - and if I was taking drugs that were affecting me - it would reduce my productivity - but they cannot prove it.

(ok ... not as big $$ as a sportsman - take a few 0's off the end )

[Lightning Bolt]

I respect your right to your opinion I don't have to agree. I don't want people on the road blitzed out of their gord either but the war on drugs is a farce. For that fact so is the DUI laws in most states.

The only problem with the D.U.I. laws, like so many OTHER laws, is they're rarely enforced.

maybe in Iowa, they're not...you could tell us most accurately, I'm sure

but, out here in Cali they take it very seriously,
and this weekend they have got random checkpoints set up throughout the SD County.

They're looking for 3 things:
1. Sobriety (or lack thereof...)
2. Seatbelt use
3. Registration

It certainly heightens the awareness, and if you're not paying attention
you could find yourself spending the night in the pokey

[Wino you know]

maybe in Iowa, they're not...you could tell us most accurately, I'm sure

but, out here in Cali they take it very seriously,
and this weekend they have got random checkpoints set up throughout the SD County.

They're looking for 3 things:
1. Sobriety (or lack thereof...)
2. Seatbelt use
3. Registration

It certainly heightens the awareness, and if you're not paying attention
you could find yourself spending the night in the pokey

I don't know the reason for your eye roll, but that's great. I salute San Diego County.

[ph4ever]

maybe in Iowa, they're not...you could tell us most accurately, I'm sure

but, out here in Cali they take it very seriously,
and this weekend they have got random checkpoints set up throughout the SD County.

They're looking for 3 things:
1. Sobriety (or lack thereof...)
2. Seatbelt use
3. Registration

It certainly heightens the awareness, and if you're not paying attention
you could find yourself spending the night in the pokey

I don't know the reason for your eye roll, but that's great. I salute San Diego County.

IMHO if you fail a sobriety test your butt needs to go to jail. It's just too easy to get a cab

If you don't have a seatbelt or proper registration on to take someone to jail over that is a waste of an officer's time and as a tax payer that would anger me.

Some cities pass the most stupid laws. The purpose of the law may not be stupid but sometimes consideration isn't given to the police force's ability to enforce the law and don't increase the force size to accommodate new laws when necessary. That's why I say the law is stupid.

[12vmanRick]

I respect your right to your opinion I don't have to agree. I don't want people on the road blitzed out of their gord either but the war on drugs is a farce. For that fact so is the DUI laws in most states.

The only problem with the D.U.I. laws, like so many OTHER laws, is they're rarely enforced.

or like in the state of Ga they go OVERBOARD making sure they get a conviction even when the evidence is not there

[Wino you know]

or like in the state of Ga they go OVERBOARD making sure they get a conviction even when the evidence is not there

Sorry. Although it's been nearly two decades, I was a police officer in Georgia, and I never got that impression at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
However, if you feel otherwise, you do know about the appeals process, right?

[12vmanRick]

or like in the state of Ga they go OVERBOARD making sure they get a conviction even when the evidence is not there

Sorry. Although it's been nearly two decades, I was a police officer in Georgia, and I never got that impression at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
However, if you feel otherwise, you do know about the appeals process, right?

since you left they closed so many "so called loopholes" you are guilty until you spend your life savings proving otherwise, which all it really did was allow the "so called justice system" the ability to put you in double jeopardy, have little or no appeal, etc.