Anabolic Steroids

A Threat to Mind and Body

The Price of Perfection

Shock waves went through the sports world when Canadian track superstar Ben Johnson was denied his gold medal at the 1988 Olympics after tests showed he had taken anabolic steroids. The incident called international attention to the use of anabolic steroids among world-class athletes to gain competitive advantage.

Still, athletes and nonathletes alike persist in taking them. Teenagers are taking anabolic steroids not just to excel in sports but to enhance their self-images by perfecting their physiques. There are even reports of male adults in physically demanding professions like law enforcement using them to appear tougher and more formidable.

As the drug grows in popularity so does awareness of the serious side effects it may cause. One of the most alarming is the threat of AIDS. HIV-human immunodeficiency virus-can be transmitted if shared needles are used to inject the drug.

But potential harm to physical and psychological health is only one aspect of this troubling trend.

A Question of Values

The nonmedical use of anabolic steroids raises more ethical and moral issues. Engaging in steroids use is illegal. Users are likely to find themselves acquiring these drugs through illicit-and expensive-channels. The heavy demand for anabolic steroids has given rise to black market, with sales estimated at as much as $400 million a year. Moreover, supplies, which are often illegally manufactured and do not meet established standards, may be contaminated.

Athletes who use these drugs are cheating. They gain an unfair advantage over opponents and violate the ban on steroids imposed by most major sports organizations.

Another Addictive Substance?

Can anabolic steroids be added to the list of addictive drugs? Early signs point to addictive patterns among users. At the very least, users demonstrate an unwillingness to give up anabolic steroids even in the face of possibly dire consequences to their health.

Stopping the Trend

As the health risks of anabolic steroids become more apparent, efforts to curtail their use -through education, legislation, and medical practices-are intensifying.

For those already hooked, kicking the steroids habit is the best chance to escape devastating side effects. For potential users, the solution, of course, is to never take the drug at all. There are other ways to be a winner athletically and socially without harming health and without cheating.