More and more we hear or read about athletics and steroid use. Recently there was a news piece stating that 56 labs had been raided as well as 11 million doses of steroids seized. They also stated that with 30-40,000 customers this is a multi million dollar black market industry.

Although the athletes are the ones we hear the most about because they are in the public eye we also need to be concerned with the growing number of young people that are beginning to use steroids. Athletes are out there and so many are role models to our youth. Fortunately and sometimes unfortunately kids want to copy what they see others doing. This is no exception when it comes to illegal activity.

So many of our younger athletes are pressured to be stronger or faster and to make it to that next level weather it be college or professional. Studies show that 5% of teen boys and 2.5% of teen girls have used some form of steroid. This is increasing as we speak. Where steroids has never been “a guys drug” it seems the male athletics are the ones we read/heard the most about. It has become more obvious in recent years that females are among those using as well as the men.

So, what are steroids? Steroids are classified as anabolic. Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that can boost the body’s ability to produce muscle. These is where our athletics and young people come in. They begin taking steroids in the hopes of running faster, hitting farther, lifting more, jumping higher or just having more endurance. Wow, sounds like a miracle drug don’t you think. Wrong, extended use of steroids can and most times is extremely harmful.

The effects is something that I will discuss in my next post but what I’m really getting at is with sports being such a huge part of America it is time to look and see what is taking place in the sports industry. Who are your kids looking at as a role model? Gives you something to think about don’t you think?