News Release
March 7, 2005

North Texas Steroid Summit

MAR 7--Gary G. Olenkiewicz, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced today that DEA, in conjunction with Region 10 Education Service Center and University Interscholastic League (UIL), will host the North Texas Steroid Summit, one of the first of its kind, in Texas. This event will be held at the Plano Centre, Plano, Texas, on February 28, 2005, beginning at 8:00AM.

DEA is the lead U.S. federal drug investigative agency tasked with targeting, disrupting and dismantling international and domestic drug trafficking organizations that are having a negative impact on the United States. Mr. Olenkiewicz remarked that “steroid use by youth in our communities is of growing concern. The coalition of organizations, presenting and attending this conference, will provide a basis for all of us to come together and develop a strategy to combat this problem.”

Region 10 Education Service Center provides leadership and services to 80 public school districts and multiple charter and private schools for a nine-county region in North Texas. UIL is the extra curriculum governing body for the state of Texas that ensures compliance among all public schools, in Texas.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that more than a half a million 8th and 10th grade students are currently using steroids and an increasing number of these students do not believe that they are harmful. DEA is proud to join forces with professionals from the medical and educational fields to take a proactive approach of prevention through education.

Distinguished guest speakers include:

• Dr. Charles Breithaupt, Athletic Director State of Texas UIL.
• Dr. Linn Goldberg, Head of the Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University. Dr. Goldberg also serves as a Crew Chief member for the U.S. Olympic Committee.
• Dr. Gary Allen Green, clinical professor at the UCLA school of Medicine and a consultant to Major League Baseball on Anabolic Steroids and Performance – enhancing drugs.
• Special Agent Doug Coleman, DEA Unit Chief, Washington D.C. Mr. Coleman will speak about law enforcement priorities.

DEA is honored to be a part of this community effort and looks forward to a successful summit.