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Decriminalization Of Steroids Essay, Research Paper

The Decriminalization of Steroids

Everyone has a view on steroids whether or not it is shaped by mass media, schools, or peers. Not many people have a realistic idea of what steroids really are and what they do. I spent a few hours in various diet and fitness related chat rooms on the net while doing this paper and found out that the common stereotype is that all steroids are harmful and produce breasts. Some people believe supplements such as creatine and weight gain powder are steroids, which is false. Another common misconception is that only world class athletes use them. It seems most people are too lazy to read medical texts on steroids and would much rather let the media and government tell them about it. This attitude of don t confuse me with the facts and medical jargon is what s wrong with societies view on steroids. With all of the misinformation floating around it s no wonder why steroids are considered dangerous drugs. To quote John F. Kennedy We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.” (cybernation.com)

The term “anabolic steroids” commonly refers to steroids that are synthetically produced. Some common anabolic steroids are Nandrolone decanoate, Primobolan, and Sustanon (a blend of four types of testosterone) just to name a few. Testosterone studies are nothing new. In 1771, a Scotsman transplanted the testes from a rooster to a hen and confirmed his hypothesis that the hen would display characteristics more like the rooster. About 78 years later in Germany, a German scientist furthered the research in by examining the effects of castration upon the secondary sex characteristics of roosters and proving the existence of a masculinizing substance produced in the testes and released through the bloodstream. In 1935, scientists working in Amsterdam succeeded in collecting ten milligrams of a chemical from one hundred kilograms of bull testes and identified this chemical as testosterone. (David K. 85-86) By the early 1950’s, scientists were trying to isolate testosterone’s muscle building properties without the masculinizing effects. Synthetic anabolic steroids were then developed in this quest.

Testosterone has both anabolic (tissue building) and androgenic (masculinizing) qualities. The anabolic/good effects are primarily muscle growth. The androgenic/bad effects are gyno and the development of secondary male sex characteristics, such as growth of facial and body hair and the deepening of the voice. Obviously, the anabolic effects are desirable for sports performance and cosmetic appearance. In adults, especially women, the androgenic effects are not desirable at all. There are ways to block the anabolic effects though. Medicine such as Nolvadex, Clomid, and Arimidex (anti-estrogen agents) can be used to negate the androgenic effects.

Unfortunately, these are illegal substances as well. In my opinion, steroids are not the evil drugs everyone has come to expect. Steroids are much safer than many substances legal and illegal. Yet most people will get drunk at a party and not think twice about it. Odds are the majority of people probably won t ever use steroids in their lifetime, but for the government to make them illegal is absurd. I feel the government has made a grave mistake by criminalizing steroids. Hopefully, in due time they will become legal and help many people by doing so.

Critics of steroids say Roid rage is a deadly side effect of anabolic steroids. Enormous media attention has been focused upon the reported adverse psychiatric effects (especially violent behavior) of steroid use. Roid rage is a term for steroid-induced “spontaneous, highly aggressive, out-of-control behavior where the police either were called or should have intervened” (Yesalis & Cowart, 60). A few researchers have suggested that symptoms including increased aggression are a common side effect of anabolic steroid use. For example, a flawed 1988 study suggested that psychiatric disorders occur with unusual frequency among athletes using anabolics (Pope & Katz, 1988, 487-490). Experts say that “If this phenomenon is real, it is relatively rare (probably less than 1 percent) among steroid users. Even among those affected, the impact of previous mental illness or abuse of other drugs is still unclear” (Yesalis & Cowart, 60). “Some long-time steroid users have never suffered any emotional instability, or anything more than transient physical effects” and many steroid users describe non-violent feelings of euphoria, well-being and enhanced self-confidence as common effects (Wright & Cowart, 51)

Opponents of steroids also say in men, the abuse of anabolic steroids can reduce sperm production, cause acne, shrink the testicles, and cause impotence and irreversible breast enlargement. Women can develop masculine characteristics such as deepening of the voice and excessive body hair. Also, in teens abuse of steroids can stunt bone growth in adolescents and result in potentially permanent damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys. Individuals who inject anabolic steroids with nonsterile needles also risk developing HIV and other blood-borne infections as well.

I concede that using nonsterile needles does greatly increase the risk of HIV. Then again it really does not matter what you are injecting into your body as long as you are sharing needles your risk for HIV greatly increases. I do agree that youth should NOT be using any kind of steroid. Their bodies are just not developed yet and the adverse effects could be permanent. According to the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (which is funded by the National Institute on

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