Indications are that steroid use among high school athletes in Texas is not rampant. A study by Texas A&M University showed that fewer than 2 percent of high school seniors used steroids in 2006.

The study probably under-reports the problem, but even if that amount were to double, it would be our guess that use of other illegal drugs — or the illegal use of alcohol — is probably much higher.

But steroids can also be much more dangerous to youthful bodies than alcohol or, say, marijuana. Irreversible damage can occur to the heart and liver, reproductive abilities can be impaired and lives literally shortened, all for the attempt to improve athletic performance. Steroid use has also been linked to cancer.

So small amount of use or not, we still support a bill in the state legislature by Republican Kyle Janek that would give a 30-day suspension to athletes who tested positive for the first time for steroids. Two move positive tests would result in a permanant ban. The only quibble we would have with Janek's bill is that we don't know why three positive tests would be needed for a ban. We think that should happen on the second positive.

Janek's bill would provide for random testing of about 3 percent of athletes per year. That does not sound like much, but steroid testing is expensive and, with random tests, you would never know when your number would be called.

Janek is correct in saying that high school athletes will not respond to any other stimulus than the threat of losing playing time. Each athlete knows without the playing time in high school, there will be no future in college.

The sad fact is, high school is as far as 98 percent of athletes will ever go, steroids or not and you can be assured that plenty of the athletes who take them are not within the few who make it to play in college.

This bill has the potential to save some lives and to keep some healthy who would otherwise become ill. No glory on the gridiron or basketball court is worth a life.

The athletes who have heard the cheers aren't going to buy that argument, or they will believe — as teenagers often do — that they are invincible. This bill will tell them if they want to hear the cheers, they will have to steer clear of steroids. We say pass it and pass it now.