Steroids

“I’d be in the gym and going through my workout and I’d have pains in my chest. Then the pains were happening at home. The doctor said that my heart was hardening due to anabolic steroids.”


Craig
Steroids: True Stories Hosted by Curt Schilling

In the past 15 years, there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of teens who have tried anabolic steroids.1 Anabolic steroids build up muscle tissue, but they can also ruin your life.

Craig’s obsession with building bigger muscles affected his entire family. He developed “ ‘roid rage,” a common side effect of the drug. “When he used to come home it was like fastening your seat belt,” says his dad, Jake. “ ‘Here we go. What wonderful episode are we going to have again?’ ”

Steroid use among ninth-grade girls has increased dramatically the past decade.2 Kristen works hard to stay strong by lifting weights and eating healthy food. “Steroids are chemicals,” she says. “You might as well shoot heroin into your body.”

Dr. Roberto Olivardia of Harvard Medical School says that using anabolic steroids is cheating. “It’s sending out an illusion that you got that body through hard work, eating right, and exercising, when in fact it was from using a drug.”

Josh, a college football player, says it’s a matter of being honest. “If you played against someone who got there by their natural ability, and you knew you cheated,” he says, “could you live with yourself?”

Know the signs of steroid abuse. Early intervention can save your child’s life.

Remember: Teen steroid users are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs, practice risky sex, and engage in suicidal behavior.3

Read Issues and Answers at wordscanwork.com for more about this topic.

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse
2. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2. Sociology of Sport Journal, 19, 385-402.

© 2006 Blake Works, Inc.

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