Plague of Steroids

The Plague of Steroids

In today's society steroids are becoming a bigger and bigger problem. It is not just the bodybuilders and people of that nature that are using, but also other professional athletes and teenagers who are trying to get to that level. Everyone has heard the old and tired information about steroids and what it can do, but most people do not truly understand why the punishments for steroid use need to be so severe. Should there be a unified testing among, all professional sports, college sports, and even high school?

Before 1935 it was not known that anabolic steroids could be linked to muscle growth. Two scientists that were experimenting on dogs found that when they injected small amounts of testosterone into these dogs they gained a significant amount of muscle mass. It was not until the mid 1950's that the abuse of anabolic steroids was seen. Olympic weight lifters and other athletes that competed in events where strength was key were the first ones that really were seen abusing steroids. During the 1970's and 80's the abuse of steroids spread from just Olympic athletes to also other types.

In 1983, nineteen athletes were disqualified from the

Olympics for steroid abuse.(9) A 1970 survey of five

American universities showed that 15% of college athletes were

steroid abusers.(10,11) By 1984, 20% of college athletes

were using steroids.(11) In 1975, anabolic abuse in Arizona

high schools was 0.7% over all, with 4% of athletes admitting

steroid use.(10) A 1986 survey in Minneapolis revealed a 3%

average rate of steroid abuse in grades 8, 10, and 12.(10)

In one of these high schools, the rate of use was 8% in senior

males.(10) In a 1988 survey in a suburban Chicago school,

6.5% of male students admitted taking steroids, and 2.5% of female

students admitted steroid use.(12) Surveys in 1989 estimate

that there are 500,000 adolescent steroid abusers nationwide, and

as many as 1 million steroid abusers of all ages in the United

States.(6,10,13) In November 1990, U. S. Federal Law

reclassified all anabolic steroids as Controlled Dangerous

Substances.(14)

Those stats lead us where we are today. With steroid abuse on the rise something has to be done so that our teenagers and young people are not going to be exposed to steroid use, or even have to be faced with the decision whether or not to use steroids.

With the growing rate of steroid use it is quickly becoming one of the most popular performance enhancing drugs out on the market. Steroid use is seen today all the way from the professional sports down to the high school, and even junior high in some severe cases, level. Steroids are the new fad when it comes to performance enhancing drugs for several reasons. Anabolic steroids are without a doubt the most potent performance enhancer out there today. Users will see drastic