US Senators told Children As Young As 11 Taking Steroids

[Carlos_E]

Children As Young As 11
Taking Steroids
BBC News
7-14-4

US children as young as 11 are taking illegal steroids in a bid to achieve their dream of sporting or Olympic glory, senators have been told.

Head of the US anti-doping agency, Terry Madden, told a Senate committee people needed to be warned that steroid use was dangerous to children's health.

The committee was told that more than 500,000 high school-age children were estimated to be using steroids.

It comes as several athletes are facing an inquiry over alleged steroid abuse .

Senator Charles Grassley said it was estimated some five million people annually used the drugs "to improve athletic performance, appearance and self-image".

Of that, 175,000 are estimated to be high school girls and 350,000 are high school boys, he said.

'Driven to suicide'

"Those same studies have shown that some users start even younger, first using steroids while they are in middle school," said Mr Grassley, presiding at the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

One father told how his 16-year-old son took steroids after he was told to gain 20 pounds if he wanted to be a starting pitcher in basketball. After he stopped taking the drugs, he suffered a depression that drove him to suicide.

The hearing was told by Mr Madden that the availability of steroid -based products was "currently effectively unregulated".

He described it as a "health crisis that affects not just Olympic athletes, but every American teenager who dreams of becoming a professional or Olympic athlete, and every consumer who takes one of these products without being informed of the risks".

Mr Madden also called for uniform standards for testing US amateur and pro athletes across all sports.

He said insufficient doping testing in some premier pro sports leagues had given a perception to other countries that US athletes routinely used illegal performance-enhancing substances.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3892061.stm

[Carlos_E]

"One father told how his 16-year-old son took steroids after he was told to gain 20 pounds if he wanted to be a starting pitcher in basketball."

I would be more concerned that my son is trying to be a starting pitcher for a basketball team than whether or not he's on roids.

[twosocks40]

Pitcher for basketball. Obviously these morons don't have their facts straight. Our senate makes me sick. Bunch of old crusty idiots afraid of change. If they legalized the **** at least they could be regulated more closely.


-B

[einstein1905]

"One father told how his 16-year-old son took steroids after he was told to gain 20 pounds if he wanted to be a starting pitcher in basketball."

I would be more concerned that my son is trying to be a starting pitcher for a basketball team than whether or not he's on roids.

That's what caught my eye....the poor kid scratched a whole in his head trying to figure out what the hell his coach was talking about

[cpt steele]

How do they come up with this rubish?

[Pale Horse]

It's a bunch of hype. Remember when all we heard about is crack and gangs? They're still out there just not a hot topic for the media anymore. Olympic year , election year = endless B.S.

[Carlos_E]

It's a bunch of hype. Remember when all we heard about is crack and gangs? They're still out there just not a hot topic for the media anymore. Olympic year , election year = endless B.S.

It's all a distraction so they don't have to discuss real issues facing our country.

[NoobJuice]

refukndiculous

[cpt steele]

It's all a distraction so they don't have to discuss real issues facing our country.

They make it sound like there is a dealer on the corner with a bag of vials hussling cars on a corner. Bytch please How can you make a statement to congress or the senate without having to back up your facts? If I was under indictment for something rest assured they would back up their facts and I better have mine

[Pale Horse]

Agreed Carlos I big distraction that pisse me off!

[Animal Cracker]

Any of those kids the progeny of any AR members?

[bubbathegut]

maybe they were mutant babies and grew up to be olympians

[Pale Horse]

I've got my 3 year old boy on 3 grams a week right now!

[ironfist]

[QUOTE=Carlos_E]Children As Young As 11
Taking Steroids
BBC News
7-14-4



The committee was told that more than 500,000 high school-age children were estimated to be using steroids.

QUOTE]

thats gotta be bull****

[GQ-Bouncer]

i think these statistics are sorely exageratted