Steroids and Legality

Picture if you will a twenty year old man. He used to weigh one hundred ninety pounds, but now he has gone down to one hundred fifty-eight pounds. He has scars from acne on his face. By the pits of his arm and on his thighs there are stretch marks. These places used to be clear. He now eats one meal a day, if that, because he has no appetite. He suffers from chronic headaches, and maybe goes two days a week without a headache. He has chronic high blood pressure, and will be on medicine for hypertension for the duration of his life. He looks in the mirror and wonders was it worth it. This man took steroids for a year. This man is me.

The dangers of steroids are strict and very real. They do not make a better athlete nor person. There should be stricter bans on steroids, because it is one of the most dangerous drugs on the black market to date.

What exactly are steroids? Steroids work by increasing the body’s natural male hormone booster, testosterone. Mostly, these are taken for their muscle-building effects. They help athletes during strength training by helping their strength and recovery. Muscle is gained through recovery. Slang terms include ‘roids, juice, hype, or pump. Who uses them? Mostly athletes involved in sports that rely on strength or size. Professional wrestlers, football players, or baseball players. Endurance athletes use them. Examples include swimming and track. Bodybuilders use these to define and increase muscle. Sadly enough, even students from college to middle school use this drug religiously.

Steroids are a valid problem. Let’s say a man gets caught with marijuana or alcohol in his system. Serious time in jail is probably what will happen. However, if someone gets caught with steroids, it’s a misdemeanor charge dismissed with a slap on the wrist. According to WebMD, steroids have more and worse side effects than continual uses of alcohol and marijuana combined, including Hepatitis B and HIV, or the AIDS virus. Other effects are hypertension, cancer, blood clots, urinary and bowel problems, headaches, nausea, insomnia, increased risk of serious injury, and acne. Does anyone really care? Not really. That’s why if a football or baseball player is caught all that really happens is a fine or dismissal. This really is a serious problem.

Stricter testing policies should be implemented. Most athletes use oral steroids. These can be out of the body within 2 weeks. Whereas steroid injections can take up to twice the time to leave the body. The drug of choice for athletes is oral steroids, because according to ESPN, most athletes are notified at least two weeks in advance before their test. Most users will “megadose” or use extremely high doses to achieve quicker results. Some will “pyramid” or take more and more and more to achieve their desired physique. The most dangerous however, is “stacking” because different kinds of steroids are taken.

Steroids do have positive effects. They are used to treat serious medical conditions such as kidney disease and asthma. If taken properly and watched closely they can help regain tissues and muscles after surgeries. Lower potency steroids are used for muscle building, such as androstein and methandriol. They do have good uses,