The BBC, Independent and Guardian all carry the story about the ACMD’s concern about the use of anabolic steroids by boys.
Boys as young as 12 and 13 are using anabolic steroids to beef up their bodies in a bid to “get girls”, government advisers have warned.
Latest figures show that 200,000 people in Britain have tried bodybuilding anabolic steroids – including an increasing number of teenage boys.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs called for a government awareness campaign on the health hazards.
Lord Adebowale, a member of the advisory council, told a meeting yesterday: “I am concerned by the lack of information about the risks they face in using them. This stuff isn’t being used just by people who want to be athletes, but by people who want to be in boy bands and get girls.”
Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, the council’s chairman, said steroids could make the testicles wither and cause acne, sterility and a form of breast enlargement. He added: “Even more worryingly, there is emerging evidence that anabolic steroids cause aggression. I’m really very worried about that.”
The Guardian puts it this way:
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is to write to the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, voicing grave concerns about the growing abuse of anabolic steroids which are now being used by “tens of thousands” of bodybuilders and teenagers.
It had been estimated that there were tens of thousands of people using steroids to improve the results of training regimes to make themselves look more muscular, said Professor David Nutt, chairman of the council’s technical committee. Steroid users, rather than heroin injectors, were now the main clients of needle exchanges, the committee heard.
Looking back at previous stories about steroids I see that the Daily Mail, when they had the story back in May, were quoted 100,000 steroid users.
In September last year DrugScope produced their annual street price survey which raised the issue of steroid use amongst older teenagers as a concern.
[...] may remember that over the last few years there have been a number of stories expressing concern about young men’s use of [...]