Growing up in a pretty stable home with two good parents, I was always told that all drugs are bad and to stay away from them. I researched and read up in steroids, which are illegal in the US and considered a class 3 narcotic by the DEA, looked at all the different variables and realized that statement isn’t entirely true in my opinion and I know I will catch some criticism for this but hear me out please.
Steroids were developed in the 1930’s in Europe for males who’s testicles didn’t produce enough testosterone. The main ingredient in steroids in most cases is pure synthetic testosterone. There is also a compound named DecaDurabolin or more commonly known as “Deca” which is given to patients who just recovered from chemotherapy or HIV/AIDS to stimulate the appetite to put back on all the weight lost during treatment. Steroids really didn’t get any recognition in sports until the US caught wind of Russian olympic athletes using them to get the edge of the Americans. So what did we do in response? Made a stronger and more potent compound to give to our athletes to win, keep in mind this was during the cold war and the US was not going to take any chances losing to the Russians.
As I’m researching more into the subject matter I can see why they are illegal because of the side effects which can be reduced sperm count, irritability, increased chance of a male to have impotency, increased anger “roid rage”, increased chance of heart attack, and even death. But only a total of three people die per year due to steroid use yet alcohol is responsible for every one in ten deaths in adults and tobacco kills roughly five million people a year worldwide. Aspirin, advil and multi-vitamins kill 106,000 people per year yet steroids are still illegal.
I feel that if steroids were made legal then the risks would be greatly reduced. Users would have dosages administered professionally by a nurse, users would have blood work done regularly and be monitored by a professional to help the steroid user. I don’t personally use steroids and can’t really give an opinion on how it affects the body but as far as I can see it’s just another supplement to give you an edge over the competition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljOC0L1Bq8E
I probably would not agree to interrupt with the natural system of body or use outside “help” for competition. When we talk about vaccine in class, a autism example is enough to cause a big debate all over the country, three death per year for asteroid is probably going to cause more criticism. I think it is understandable to use steroids for medical purposes. To use steroids in competition and other purposes seem crazy to me.
You brought up some valid points I think are often forgotten when it comes to steroid use. There are definitely beneficial uses for steroids, especially when it comes to strengthening the immune system. You describe a lot of flaws with steroids, which were then addressed with the solution of having it under careful dosing and nurse application. I would be concerned though that these places would be considered targets for druggies
While I think this is an interesting topic, I definitely think that providing some studies or citing the websites where you found your info would’ve made me more inclined to take your side on the article, but it was interesting to see the statistics compared to things like alcohol and over- the-counter painkillers. However, you also have to keep in mind that steroids are not consumed nearly as much or as frequently as painkillers and alcohol are. There’s a lot of things to keep in mind, but it’s an interesting idea.
This is no doubt a complex issue, but if you were to legalize steroids than people participating in weightlifting or bodybuilding competitions would never see a real fair contest as every one if they chose to do so would be using steroids against their competitors. Also, are steroids addicting? Can they lead to other health problems, both short and long term? I do agree that if steroids were ever to be legal that much regulation and oversight would be needed, just as when heroin addicts could get clean needles to avoid the spread of HIV and AIDES.
I think legalizing steroids would be a great idea, for all the reasons you mentioned. This article mentions studies that say steroids may be beneficial to users in the long run: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24730151