What is Hoot's Chalk Talk?

Hoot's Chalk Talk is the name of a family of programs that have been created to raise the awareness and provide education on the subject of the use and abuse of appearance and performance enhancing drugs (APEDs) by the youth of America with a focus on anabolic steroids and supplements. Two programs make up core educational programs of the Taylor Hooton Foundation (THF): 

a) An in-person multi-media program that we call Hoot's Chalk Talk, and 

b) An online program that we call Hoot's Chalk Talk e-Learning Program.

These two Hoot's Chalk Talk programs not only provide factual information about the dangers of APEDs and supplements, they also explore the honor and integrity character traits that are too often missing among today’s youth.

Our programs are very timely. The nightly news continues to identify high profile elite athletes who have used or are using anabolic steroids or other appearance and performance enhancing drugs. This drug use by our top athletes is fueling a near epidemic of similar drug usage by our youth. Most experts agree that somewhere between 750,000 and a million of our children have admitted to using anabolic steroids, and that usage rate is increasing. Most people are surprised to learn that the fastest growing group of APEDs users is our teen girls who are using these drugs to look leaner and to win at sports. Additionally, the U.S. sales for sports supplements has reached the staggering $20 billion mark. And, multiple industry studies are showing that as many as 20% of the supplements in this unregulated market are spiked with anabolic steroids. These supplements are readily available over the counter in our local health food stores and are taken by 12-20% of high school students.

Traditional drug education materials address the four “standard” categories of mind-altering drugs: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, and hallucinogens. A fifth category of drugs has been flying under our nation’s radar screen: appearance and performance enhancing drugs. These substances are taken to improve strength and performance in athletes, and most prevalently, they are used by non-athletes to improve their physique – to look better! Hoot’s Chalk Talk is designed to address this fifth category of drug abuse.

It is the foundation’s goal to deliver this program to over 10,000 major high schools and middle schools cross America over the next four years.