FREE ESSAY ON STEROIDS

STEROIDS

Should Steroids be banned from society?
It's amazing what athletes will do to achieve higher levels of performance and to get an
edge on the rivaled competition. Often people do not realize the long-term effects that
result from the decisions they make early in life. This resembles the obvious phenomenon
with steroids. Steroids became a spreading exposure to athletes in the Olympics and other
major sporting events during the 1950's (ESPN website). This use of steroids among
athletes became apparent when Canadian sprint runner Ben Johnson tested positive for
steroid use after winning the gold medal for the 100-meter dash during the 1988 Olympics
(Yesalis).
Today, a thin fifteen-year-old can just walk down to the local gym and find sellers to
obtain the drug that will make him the idol of all his classmates. Being such an
attractive drug, as shown in the analogy above, and seeming harmless to the unaware user,
steroids can have a potentially jeopardous effect. Consistently, users, new and
experienced, have no knowledge as to the dangerous consequences that steroids can have on
their minds and bodies. Although steroids have low death tolls in our society, banning it
is purely justified because of the extremely perilous side effects it inflicts on the
unsuspecting user (USDHHS). Though steroids are known as a somewhat dangerous substance,
they are legal to possess and consume. There has not yet been a true clinical study that
proves such possible side effects are linked to the use of steroids. Sure, there have
been several cases in which someone has died and an autopsy has shown that the person was
using steroids, but this does not mean that they are a lethal drug as some medical
professionals have stated. 
Some advocates believe that because steroids are legal, and since it's the decision of
the user to take the drug, steroids are not causing a problem in society. Millions,
causing deteriorating effects on their bodies, consume alcohol and cigarettes every day,
but there has never been a protest to put a ban on these items because of their harmful
nature. So how are steroids any different? Some people may state that the wide spread use
of steroids among professional athletes is forcing young upcoming athletes to use
steroids, even though it's against their morals. This is because they know they cannot
compete adequately against their opponents who are using steroids to achieve higher
levels of performance. 
One might say this is how competition works though. Race car drivers and gymnasts are out
there every day, pushing themselves harder and harder, going just a little faster, or
doing a new, more difficult trick. Many believe they are forced by their own desire to
win, and the hazardous risks they take, be it taking a corner a little faster or pulling
an extra flip in a routine, are no different than the risks a football player, wrestler,
or weight lifter takes when they choose to use steroids to increase their skills. Many
believe these reasons make steroid abuse morally justified, and say their use in sports
and other activities are just an added element in boosting performance. 
It is true that there has not yet been any defined medical research to prove steroid
abuse is linked to severe medical implications. But many chronic users dealing with
massive medical difficulties believe they were a result of steroid abuse. Alcohol and
cigarettes are major contributors to the deaths of thousands each year. Frequently we see
a family member, or friend, suffering from diseases and health conditions caused by
smoking and drinking. These conditions can often lead to an early, horrible death for the
individual. Many find these experiences an obsessive reason to not drink and smoke. In a
similar situation, young athletes see their former athletic idols suffering from medical
problems caused by steroids. These professionals will even admit to their former steroid
abuse in hopes to persuade the thousands of young athletes participating in steroid abuse
each day to make the right choice in not using steroids. 
I find it hard to believe how young athletes can simply ignore the warnings of these
suffering abusers. This can partly be blamed on the lack of education about steroids that
young athletes will receive. Nevertheless, when they see the effects steroids have in the
long run on such professional athletes as Lyle Alzado, they should realize the need to
give up their abuse, even if they must sacrifice the chance to win that gold medal, or
give up that buff body they always dreamed of (Steroid Law website). If a user was to
listen to what a former addict has gone through, and possibly died from, he may be
persuaded to give up his addiction, and in the end, he will find himself at an advantage
because he will live a longer, healthier life. In addition, the severe physiological and
psychological dependencies caused by steroids are consistent among the underground of
ripping steroid users, causing personal problems with the user as well as family and
friends of the user (Wright). 
Once a young user achieves the chiseled physique he always dreamed of, there is no
turning back. It would only be his worst nightmare to give up steroids and relapse to the
scrawny little body he had before his steroid use. An athlete that learns the performance
advantages he gains from steroids will, in a short time, become use to the edge he has
obtained, and will soon be craving more. For him to simply drop his addiction cold
turkey, and go back to being second best, is not even an option anymore. These
addictions, as with most addictions, will cause the user to lose interest in friends and
family, concentrating only on enhancements to his physique and athletic performance
(Biglieri). Even worse, the drug can cause well known roid rages (TNCADI website). This
involves the spontaneous acts of violence and abuse towards anyone a user comes intact
with. This is usually a worse scenario with non-athletic steroid abusers because athletes
such as football players can release a good share of their rage on the playing field.
Some severe addictions can include symptoms such as increased libido, sexual perversion,
and psychotic episodes (TNCADI website). Because of the severe results of steroid
addiction, it is an effective measure of the abuser's family and friends to take
necessary action in order to help an abuser with his addiction. Adolescent steroid
abusers can also experience complex physiological and psychological problems, some of
which result in permanent effects. 
For some reason, a widespread use of these so-called natural drugs has become apparent
among the teenage age group in the last four to five years (Wright). They seem to believe
such drugs such as Marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms do not have damaging effects on
their bodies because they are natural substances. Just because Marijuana comes from a
plant found in nature, or the suddenly popular hallucinogenic mushrooms found in farm
pastures that grow naturally, does not mean they are not going to have harmful effects on
the body. These substances that teenagers use are toxins produced by the plants to keep
animals and humans from eating them. Although steroids are a form of the natural male
hormone, testosterone, they are far higher in concentration then what our bodies produce
naturally (Lin). This high concentration is no doubt toxic to our bodies, and can result
in harmful side effects. At an early age, anything, such as drugs, is going to have an
increased effect. Most teenagers are unaware of these enhanced effects that steroids have
on them, thus making the drug increasingly dangerous. The massive doses, medical experts
say, not only affect the muscles, but also sex organs and nervous system including the
brain (Lin). Neil Carolan warns us, Even a brief period of abuse on a child whose body
and brain chemistry are still developing is extremely harmful and possibly permanent. The
deaths related to steroids of several high school athletes each year is more than
adequate cause to ban steroids. Consequently, if professional athletes are taking
steroids, then a young high school athlete may go under the misconception that steroids
are harmless (ESPN website). Indeed it would serve well for high school physical
education instructors to teach their students about the effects of steroids and the
ethics involved. Often parents discover their child's steroid abuse and become shocked,
but with the constant push a child receives to excel in sports and not having the
teaching needed to know the effects and dangers of steroids, it is not the child's
failure, but society is to blame. 
With competition becoming more and more aggressive among women's athletics, it is not
uncommon to find many of the women athletes harming their bodies with the use of
steroids. This is a scary situation because, as we know, steroids are a form of the male
hormone testosterone and are not suited for a woman. Women do have a similar, but
different, hormone called Estrogen released naturally in their bodies. The massive doses
of steroids that women will take when they are cycling on steroids will have many
dangerous side effects (ESPN webite). Some of these side effects are unknown, and the
long-term effects of steroid abuse among women are also unsure. The short-term effects
involve, deepened voice, loss of scalp hair, growth of facial hair as well as chest and
back hair, and genital problems can also result. It is unreal that a woman will continue
using steroids after noticing some of the immediate effects steroids have on her.
Possibly, some women may not believe that steroids are going to damage their body
(Biglieri). Again, the dangerous effects these drugs can have on women and all
individuals are indeed reasoning for their prohibition. The lack of official research is
no reason to allow the legal existence of steroids in our society. 
Just because there is no indubitable evidence proving the dangerous side effects of
steroids does not mean they do not exist. How many individuals must suffer from the
addiction of steroids before we take the necessary action to abolish sanctioned use of
steroids? Each year, more and more famous retired athletes are admitting to their steroid
use during their career, and are certain the medical difficulties they are enduring are a
direct result from their steroid abuse (ESPN website). People need to listen to what
these retired athletes have to say, and use their experiences with steroid use to teach
our young about the dangers involved. Furthermore, a complete professional research of
long and short-term effects caused by steroids on men, women and adolescents, is far
overdue. Certainly the banning of steroids will not only help the lives of current users,
but also prevent the further spread of addiction to steroids in our communities. 
Bibliography
Work Cited
1. Anabolic Steroids, Bodybuilding and the Law, website. www.steroidlaw.com 
2. Wright, James. "Altered state; the use and abuse of anabolic steroids." Indianapolis,
IN: Masters Press. 1994
3. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. " Adolescent steroid use." Office of the
Inspector General 1991.
4. Lin, C. Geraline "Anabolic steroid abuse." Rockville, MD. 1990
5. Yesalis, E. Charles. " Anabolic steroids in sports and exercise. Champain IL, Human
Kinetics Publishers 1993.
6. Biglieri, Edward. "Adrenal Steroids: current views and frontiers." Heidelberg,
Germany. 4-6 June 1992
7. ESPN website. Anabolic Steroids: drugs and sports special section. Monday Sept 6.
www.espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html 
8. The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information website.
www.health.org/catalog/catalog.htm