Teens and Steroids: Is It Bad to Be Buff?

Anabolic steroid use in teenagers is on the rise. Struggling with schoolwork and attending extra-curricular activities are merely a couple of reasons why teens turn to drugs. When my 16-year-old son started lifting weights and taking supplements one drug in particular raised a red flag. How bad could steroid use be? Commonly, the most used type is the anabolic steroid. This drug is what most body builders and professional athletes use. “ 'Anabolic ' refers to muscle-building.’ Steroids ' refers to the class of drugs” (Focus Adolescent Services, 2000). ). Testosterone, a hormone found in males, encourages the growth of muscle. This is what steroids are made of. “During the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals, which led to use of the compounds first by bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in other sports” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2000). Males that use steroids. That may not sound appalling because testosterone is already in their body, but today, steroids are classified as a Class III drug. This class also includes heroin and cocaine. There are several ways that steroids can be introduced to the body. They can be taken orally, injected into the muscle or they can be rubbed into the skin in lotion or cream form. How they are used involves one of two techniques. One involves stacking. The user takes two or sometimes even three oral or injectable types at the same time. Users believe that if they mix different anabolic steroids, it will enhance the muscle building effects two fold. The doses taken by users can exceed the minimum used for medical reasons. In other words, use more of the drug, get results more rapidly. The other is pyramiding. .
“Often, steroid users also "pyramid" their doses in cycles of 6 to 12 weeks. At the beginning of a cycle, the person starts with low doses of the drugs being stacked and then slowly increases the doses. In the second half of the cycle, the doses are slowly decreased to zero. This is sometimes followed by a second cycle in which the person continues to train but without drugs. Abusers believe that pyramiding allows the body time to adjust to the high doses and the drug-free cycle allows the body 's hormonal system time to recuperate” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2000).
If steroids are in the same category as other addictive drugs, how are they becoming available to minors? Of course, they are legally dispensed but only if one has a medical condition. “Adolescent pituitary malfunction in males are treated with injectable anabolic steroids when they reach the appropriate age for puberty. Anabolics given for four to six months in the proper dosing schedule cause the growth spurt and development of secondary sexual characteristics. After certain kinds of surgery and cancer, patients who experience loss of muscle tissue are given steroids, with exercise and diet, to build up muscle tissue”(Anabolics Mall, 2005). There are other conditions such as breast cancer, osteoporosis, and endometriosis that people have but benefit from taking anabolic steroids. One condition in particular, AIDS, has had positive effects from steroid use. “Anabolic steroids are especially helpful in the treatment of AIDS. In this case, they help rebuild muscle. They are also used in fighting HIV infections” (Sullivan, n.d.). Taking any drug without the purpose of treating an ailment is wrong and very dangerous. Why take steroids at an early age and risk the numerous side effects and damage to a body? Many of today 's teen athletes feel pressure to get bigger. Sometimes teens feel pressure from their parents, coach, friends, and themselves. They want to be buff, ripped, and chiseled. They want six-pack abs instantly.
“Steroids are appealing to teens because they come across as an easy way to overcome insecurities. A skinny kid can become the starting quarterback and a lean girl can whack a home run out of the park. During a time when their bodies are constantly changing, teens will do anything to achieve the look they want and the confidence they need to survive the high-school jungle” (Partnership for a Drug Free America, The, 2006). Today most teens are concentrating on looking like a movie star or the jock with big, bulging arms instead of worrying of what college they are going to attend. As parents we need to be more involved with the life of our teenagers. From knowing where they are and who they are hanging out with to what they are putting into their bodies.
Teens have a great deal of pressure put on them to stand out and be perfect. Just look at the anorexic television stars and pumped up professional athletes, these are the role models they have today? Just standing in line at the grocery store or walking into a bookstore can be fatal to any teen that is image conscious. Steroids seem as though they are a quick fix to scrawny muscles and flabby abs but how far are teens willing go? To the black market? The majorities of illegal steroids are sold through the black market but are readily available through mail- order, internet, and drug dealers. If a person has the connections and the cash, the possibilities are endless. Knowing a friend or even a relative who can get their hands- on these illegal steroids is a godsend to the user. But for teens, over- the-counter supplements are the easiest forms of anabolic steroids to acquire. Vitamin or health store retailers sell supplements that mock the anabolic effect and these are far more available than the black market steroids.
“Eight percent of girls and 12 percent of boys surveyed for a recent study have used supplements to get a better body, according to the August edition of Pediatrics. While protein powders and shakes were most commonly used, steroids, growth hormone, amino acids and other substances were also listed”(Shaver, 2005).
The use of anabolic steroids came into the light publicly whe two of baseballs biggest atheletes homerun kings Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds were exposed.
Until 2002, Major League Baseball never tested players for steroids use and players were not penalized for steroids use until 2004. Many players have admitted using the steroid, Androstenedione, including former homerun champion, Mark McGuire. Some players have also been accused of using THG-a human growth hormone that works like a steroid, building muscle mass and helping athletes recover from training. Standard drug tests are unable to detect it, but scientists are working to develop a reliable test. In March 2005, the U.S. Government will begin investigating the use of steroids by baseball players.(Kidzworld.com, 2006)
The exposure of these highly thought of sports figures is a benefit to positive role models such as parents and teachers.
A great deal of teenagers who use steroids do not think of steroids as a drug, like marijuana, they only think of it as a supplement. Users think they are not trying to get high or ruining their bodies. They are simply enhancing or perfecting their image. This mentality is dangerous since steroids have many serious side effects. “This drug can cause stunted growth in young people, to facial hair growth in women or breast growth in males, to premature heart attack, cancer, and even serious psychiatric problems”(Scholastic Action, 2006). Who, at any age wants these symptoms or a medical problem for what they think is a perfect body?
In conclusion, the problem is not with the curative effects of steroids but the abuse of them. More positive role models are needed for this generation of body conscious adolescents. Teenagers need to be taught that it takes time to build a better body without use of drugs. Information should be stressed on the consequences of damage to the body and maybe in the most serious of circumstances, death. Image is not everything, life is everything.

References
Anabolics Mall, The. (2005). Medical Uses for Steroids. Retrieved June 10, 2006, from www.anabolicsmall.com/roids4a.html
Focus Adolescent Services (2000). Steroids. Retrieved June 15, 2006, from www.focusas.com/Steroids.html
Kidzworld.com (2006). Steroids in Sports. Retrieved July 10, 2006, from www.kidzworld.com/site/p315.htm
National Institute on Drug Abuse, The (2000, April). Anabolic Steroid Use. Retrieved June 15, 2006, from www.drugabuse.org.gov/PDF/rrsteroi.pdf
Partnership for a Drug Free America, The (2006). Why Do Some Teens Use Steroids?. Retrieved June 16, 2006, from www. drugfree.org
Scholastic Action (2006, February 20). What 's Up: Steroid Abuse. Scholastic Action, 29, p.21-24. Retrieved July 10, 2006, from EBSCO Host database.
Shaver, J. (2005, September). Teens Use Unhealthy Methods for a Fit Body. Fitness Business, 21, p.10. Retrieved July 12, 2006, from EBSCO Host database.
Sullivan, C. (n.d.). Steroids: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Retrieved July 14, 2006, from www.infoheaven.bravepages.com/Steroids/Anabolic.htm

References: Anabolics Mall, The. (2005). Medical Uses for Steroids. Retrieved June 10, 2006, from www.anabolicsmall.com/roids4a.html Focus Adolescent Services (2000). Steroids. Retrieved June 15, 2006, from www.focusas.com/Steroids.html Kidzworld.com (2006). Steroids in Sports. Retrieved July 10, 2006, from www.kidzworld.com/site/p315.htm National Institute on Drug Abuse, The (2000, April). Anabolic Steroid Use. Retrieved June 15, 2006, from www.drugabuse.org.gov/PDF/rrsteroi.pdf Partnership for a Drug Free America, The (2006). Why Do Some Teens Use Steroids?. Retrieved June 16, 2006, from www. drugfree.org Scholastic Action (2006, February 20). What 's Up: Steroid Abuse. Scholastic Action, 29, p.21-24. Retrieved July 10, 2006, from EBSCO Host database. Shaver, J. (2005, September). Teens Use Unhealthy Methods for a Fit Body. Fitness Business, 21, p.10. Retrieved July 12, 2006, from EBSCO Host database. Sullivan, C. (n.d.). Steroids: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Retrieved July 14, 2006, from www.infoheaven.bravepages.com/Steroids/Anabolic.htm