Suspicion of student steroid use led to probe

33 people indicted so far, but no students  ever identified.

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 9:03 PM Monday, November 7, 2011

LEBANON — When officials at Countryside YMCA heard at tip that someone was trying to push anabolic steroids to high school athletes, they contacted Warren County’s Prosecutor’s Office and the Drug Task Force to investigate.

After a two-year investigation, 33 people have been indicted on nearly 250 charges involving an alleged multistate drug trafficking ring.

The investigation is ongoing and at least two area professional athletes may be involved.

Maj. John Burke, Drug Task Force commander, said last week that the original focus was on high school students obtaining the drugs. “The undercover officer said high school folks were definitely involved, but we were never able to identify who they were or what school they were from,” Burke said.

Dr. Tim Kremchek , team physician for the Cincinnati Reds and four area high schools including Kings, said he hasn’t seen any cases, but thinks there could be steroid use at the high school level.

“I hope it’s not, but it may be the tip of the iceberg,” Kremcheck said. “It wouldn’t surprise me, but it takes a bust like this for others to come forward.”

He said the “pressure to compete for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow can be too much for high school athletes to deal with.”

Kremchek said some athletes may feel using steroids is the only way to meet high expectations placed upon them.

“Most kids aren’t doing this with the blessing of their parents,” Kremchek said. “I think all of us will be looking for it now. Once parents understand the long-term effects, that will raise their concerns and see that it’s not worth the risk.”

Those risks include cancer, high blood pressure and significant heart problems, he said.

While an Ohio High School Athletic Association spokesman said last week that association officials weren’t interested in doing steroid testing, Kremchek said he thinks there should be testing to deter high school students from using these drugs.

He also said the punishment has to be severe to both the athlete and the school because it isn’t fair to the athletes who are clean.

“We may have to get to that point to protect our kids,” he said

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or Ed.Richter@coxohio.com.

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