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Steroids And Teens - A Problem On The Rise
By Chip Dempsey, Thu Dec 8th
/p> The media attention that have received in recent monthsis good news and bad news for Minnesota parents. The good newsis that the general public is much more aware of the dangerssteroids pose to our youth. The bad news is that the revelationof steroid use in professional sports creates an impliedlegitimacy in the eyes of many young athletes. Think about it: your teenager looks at these professionalathletes and sees a celebrity, who seems to be in great physicalshape, is performing superbly at his or her sport, and is makingmillions of dollars. Ironically, media stories about steroidsmay paint an appealing picture of the drug for aspiring youngathletes—our sons and daughters. Risks of abuse
are hormones that the body uses to cause physiologicalactivity, such as growth or metabolism. Performance-enhancingsteroids, sometimes referred to as anabolic or androgenicsteroids, are synthetic versions of the male hormonetestosterone. Synthetic derivatives of natural havemany valid medical applications, such as treating asthma, skindisorders, impotence, osteoporosis, breast cancer, andinflammation. When taken under a doctor's supervision and inprescribed doses, are not typically harmful. However,individuals using for their performance- enhancingqualities are taking doses 10 to 100 times higher than wouldever be prescribed. It is through sustained use at these high doses that long-termhealth consequences can occur. Some of the long-term healthrisks are heart disease, high blood pressure, liver or kidneytumors and even cancer, adverse psychiatric effects, andinfection (HIV or hepatitis) from sharing needles. Putting it in perspective Steroid use by high school students has been on the rise sincethe early 1990s. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, conductedby the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2003,found that 6.1 percent of high school students (grades 9–12)nationwide had used without a prescription one or moretimes in their lifetime. With 17.1 million students enrolled inhigh school, that is over 1 million kids in the U.S.experimenting with steroids. When we think of and high school students, we probablythink of football players and wrestlers. What the CDC studyshows is that the highest groups for steroid use are Hispanicmales, at 7.8 percent, and ninth-grade females, at 7.3 percent.Bodybuilding athletes may be the obvious users, but moreadolescents are turning to as a means of dealing withtheir own body image issues. Comparing steroid use with otherteenage risk behaviors, the CDC survey found that: * Motor vehicle crashes remain the No. 1 cause of death amongadolescents. * 74.9 percent of high school students had had at least onealcoholic drink during their lifetime, and 28.3 percent showedepisodic heavy drinking. * 58.4 percent of high school students had ever tried cigarettesmoking, and 3.1 percent smoked more than ten cigarettes aday. * 34.3 percent of high school students had had sexualintercourse during the three months preceding the survey, and4.2 percent had ever been pregnant or gotten someonepregnant. * 8.5 percent of high school students had attempted suicide atleast once in the 12 months preceding the survey, and 6.1percent of high school students had carried a gun on at leastone of the 30 days preceding the survey. Legal aspects Much like the current visibility provided by the mediaattention to in baseball, the attention on washighlighted by the stripping of Ben Johnson's Olympic gold medalduring the 1988 Olympic Games. This was one contributing factorto heightened interest by Congress and the subsequent passage ofthe Anti- Drug Abuse Act of 1988, which categorized the sale orpossession of anabolic as a felony. The publisher'ssale of this reprint does not constitute or imply anyendorsement or sponsorship of any project, service, company ororganization. Following the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative)investigation, which involved a controversial sports nutritioncenter in Burlingame, Calif., that allegedly provided anabolicsteroids and other banned performance-enhancing drugs toathletes, Congress once again turned its attention to steroids.The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 increased the list ofbanned substances and included steroid "precursors." Precursorsare not outside of the body; however, they can bemetabolized into once they are introduced into thebody. Warning signs So, how do you tell if your teenager is using steroids?
Whilethere are a number of signs to watch for, parents sometimesoverlook the most obvious one: rapid muscle growth. It is notuncommon for a user to gain 20 to 30 pounds of lean muscle massin one month's time while abusing steroids. Other visible signsof steroid abuse are acne, which can become severe and show upin unlikely areas such as the back or chest; jaundice; and hairloss. In addition, females may experience deepening of thevoice, growth of facial and body hair, and reduction in breastsize, while breast growth (gynecomastia) occurs in males. Changes in behavior also can be an indicator of steroid use.Your child may exhibit a new-found fixation with working out andwith body image. Side affects include increased aggressivenessand sexual desire from higher testosterone levels, as well aseuphoria, confusion, sleeping disorders, pathological anxiety,paranoia, and hallucinations. Users who become dependent on thedrug may experience symptoms of withdrawal after cessation thatinclude aggressive and violent behavior, mental depression withsuicidal behavior, mood changes, and, in some cases, acutepsychosis. Talk to your child If you are not sure that your child is using and youjust want to talk to him or her about the drug, remember to keepit simple. Discussing the long-term health risks, such as cancerand heart disease, will mean little to teenagers, who can'timagine becoming older than 30. Teenagers live in the here andnow, so the aspects of steroid use that will get their attentionare the superficial effects. Even with a great physique, it'stough to look attractive when you are a female growing facialhair or have severe acne. When talking to your child about steroids, be prepared todiscuss other matters that might cause a child to be tempted totake the drug. Be ready to discuss the pressures your child maybe dealing with in competitive sports or in self-esteem and bodyimage issues. It is important to stress, in words and in yourown behavior, positive alternatives that encourage a healthylifestyle. Intervention Intervention can help to prevent abuse and to end abuse once ithas become a problem. There are two basic types of intervention:active intervention, which deals with individuals who have asubstance abuse problem; and proactive intervention, whichprevents abuse. The only science-based education programs that have been provento prevent steroid use are ATLAS (Athletes Training & Learningto Avoid Steroids) and ATHENA (Athletes Targeting HealthyExercise & Nutrition Alternatives). ATLAS is targeted atpreventing steroid use by male high school athletes; ATHENAdeters body-shaping drug use and disordered eating amongadolescent females. Both programs use good nutritional behaviorsand proper exercise technique as alternatives to these riskybehaviors. ATLAS has been recognized by SAMHSA (Substance Abuseand Mental Health Services Administration) as a "model program"and by the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug-FreeSchools as an "exemplary program." In addition, both ATLAS andATHENA are the only preferred programs mentioned in the AnabolicSteroid Control Act of 2004. According to Oregon Health andScience University's Linn Goldberg, M.D., principal investigatorof ATLAS, "Young developing bodies are likely more sensitive tothe adverse health effects of steroids, some of which can beirreversible, such as the stunting of height in males and voiceand body-facial hair changes in females." As parents, encourage your child's school to investigate theseprograms. If your child is already using steroids, an activeintervention is designed to motivate an individual to accepthelp. If unable to act upon an active intervention,professionals are available to assist you. The most important aspect of intervention is the recurringtheme, "We see you are struggling, we love you, we are concernedfor you, and help is available today." When parents discoverthat their children are using steroids, they have two options:do nothing or get involved. Denying or ignoring the problem ofsteroids will not make it go away. When it comes to children andsteroids, the only real option is to get involved and stayinvolved. John "Chip" Dempsey is vice president of Addiction InterventionResources, a national addiction consulting practiceheadquartered in St. Paul with offices located throughout thecountry. Find out more at http://www.addictionintervention.com/ About the author:John "Chip" Dempsey is vice president of Addiction InterventionResources, a national addiction consulting practiceheadquartered in St. Paul with offices located throughout thecountry. Find out more at http://www.addictionintervention.com/
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