Anabolic Steroids

The use of anabolic steroids is a widely-known topic of interest. The discussion of making anabolic steroids legal has come up many times, and has brought up many different viewpoints on the issue. To better understand the extent of the discussion, I researched the history, laws, and ethics of anabolic steroid use to fully develop a scholarly stance on the topic of interest. Anabolic steroids should continue to be criminalized due to the dangerous effects seen on various individuals.
Anabolic steroids are defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “any group of usually synthetic hormones that are derivatives of testosterone, are used medically especially to promote tissue growth, and are sometimes abused by athletes to increase the size and
strength of their muscles and improve endurance.” Anabolic steroids are often seen being abused by athletes that want to enhance their performances easily and quickly. Currently the possession or sale of anabolic steroids are illegal without a valid prescription from a doctor. When many individuals think of who uses anabolic steroids, they automatically think athletes. In reality, athletes account for a tiny fraction of steroid users, the majority of steroid users are people at the gym who just want to get big.
To get an in-depth understanding of what anabolic steroids are and what the sources are talking about an individual must understand the specific jargon of the field. Most of the jargon of the field of anabolic steroids are slang words used for anabolic steroids, the use of them, and names for the users.
Steroids are often called juice, roids, or basement drugs.
The most commonly used slang terms for the use of steroids are bulking and juicing, which are the use of steroids. Another commonly used term is doping, which is steroid use specific to athletic competition. There are various other terms used to define steroids such as blending, cycling, and pyramiding. There are also slang words used for the users. The most common word is juiced up. This is a person who is very large and thought to be using steroids. Individuals that use steroids are often seen to have roid rage, which are episodes of rage, aggression, or violence. There are also slang terms for steroid paraphernalia. Dart, poke, and ned are all frequently used words to describe syringes and needles, while gear is used to describe anything associated with the use of
steroids.
Many people believe that anabolic steroids are a fairly new invention, but in all reality, they have been around for many years. The history can be traced back to as early as the 1930’s. A group of scientists were able to create a synthetic form of testosterone to help treat men who were unable to produce enough of the hormone. Later, in World War II they found that it could be used to help malnourished soldiers gain weight and improve their performance.
Although the use of stimulants prior to the 1960s was completely unregulated, it is worth looking at to get a better understanding of the history. The use of stimulates to better an athletes’ physique has often been seen in the ancient Greek athletes. “The measures taken were somewhat different from today. Among the substances used were strychnine, cocaine, ether, alcohol or pure oxygen.” (Moller 32). Although the ancient Greek athletes took a stimulant other than anabolic steroids, the purpose was the same; reach maximum potential and overcome pain and fatigue. Back in the day, multiple different stimulants were available but there were few examples where these performance-enhancing substances had fatal results like todays stimulants.
There have been many occasions where Olympians have been seen getting unknown substances during their competitions and the substances having a drastically good effect on the competitor. “The use of doping rose dramatically during the course of the 1940s as professional sport began to be a lucrative business” (Moller 37). The most well-known fatal case of doping was the death of Knud Enemark Jenson, a cyclist. Jensen had a tragic collapse during the one-hundred-kilometer team event at the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960. It was proven as a fact that Jenson died from the use of an injection of amphetamines and nicotine acid. This was the case that placed the anti-doping campaign on the agenda of sports politics.
The first official ban of steroids was in 1975, when the International Olympic Committee banned the use of steroids in Olympic competition.
The use and sale of steroids prospered after this decision through the Black Market. The first major federal regulation of steroids happened in 1988, and was introduced as part of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. This Act did two significant things, one being creating the policy of a drug-free America; the other being establishing the Office of National Drug Control Policy. It stiffened penalties for the possession and sale of steroids. Two years later the Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Enforcement Act of 1990, this placed certain anabolic steroids on Schedule III of the Controlled Substance Act. Schedule III substances are those that have a potential of being abused less than the substances in schedule I and II, and the substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United
States.
Today, the possession or sale of anabolic steroids without a valid prescription is illegal. “Simple possession of illicitly obtained anabolic steroids carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine if this is an individual’s first drug offense. The maximum penalty for trafficking is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if this is the individual’s first felony drug offense. If this is the second felony drug offense, the maximum period of imprisonment and the maximum fine both double” (Steroid Abuse by Law Enforcement Personnel). These are all penalties for federal offenses, while individual states also have fines and penalties for illegal use of anabolic steroids.