Why are steroids illegal?

[Strike For The South]

I'll tell you. Propaganda, people are force fed myths about these drugs. I find it odd that women and even men can take estrogen but god forbid men take testosterone. Its all rather silly when people spout the same information they hear on espn and cnn and take it as gospel. I mean god forbid you look it up yourself.

[Marshal Murat]

Because the anabolic steroids give richer athletes an edge over poorer (or more honorable) athletes. Competitions are held with the intent that two athletes (or more) can compete on a level playing field and to find out who is better. With anabolic steroids, two athletes can train the same amount, but the richer on can cheat his way to victory.

[ICantSpellDawg]

They aren't illegal. I take 5mg a day of prednisone legally with a prescription.

[Strike For The South]

Because the anabolic steroids give richer athletes an edge over poorer (or more honorable) athletes. Competitions are held with the intent that two athletes (or more) can compete on a level playing field and to find out who is better. With anabolic steroids, two athletes can train the same amount, but the richer on can cheat his way to victory.

What about training facilities? What about people who dont compete in any sort of sport? Who just wish to change there body? What about the fact steroids in and of themselves give no advantage to the person taking them.

[rory_20_uk]

Anabolic steroids aren't great news. But then neither is 10 pints of strong brew.
Anabolic steroids can cause liver damage, infertility and aggressive behaviour. But then so can 10 pints of strong brew.
Etc etc etc

Sports competitions are completely separate issue. They can have whatever rules they want.

[Marshal Murat]

Excuse me, I just naturally assumed this was about steroids in sports.

Otherwise, they are fine if you want to use them.

[rory_20_uk]

Maybe I'm wrong and it is in a sport context. If so I apologise.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Are they even illegal, or do you just need a prescription?

[ICantSpellDawg]

Are they even illegal, or do you just need a prescription?

You need a prescription for steroids in general, but they are available for therapeutic use. If you get caught with paxil without a prescription you will be in the same trouble as if they found an androgen. Never mind that reality - SFTS wants steroids - he should have them without any regulation at all.

[Strike For The South]

You need a prescription for steroids in general, but they are available for therapeutic use. If you get caught with paxil without a prescription you will be in the same trouble as if they found an androgen. Never mind that reality - SFTS wants steroids - he should have them without any regulation at all.

I never said I wanted steroids nor did I say no regulation

[AlexanderSextus]

i dont know why they're illegal, but anything thats gonna make ur willy smaller should be illegal.

[Strike For The South]

i dont know why they're illegal, but anything thats gonna make ur willy smaller should be illegal.

[naut]

I may be wrong (probably), but doesn't adding testosterone through steroids cause your body to not produce as much of it's own?

[Hosakawa Tito]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I have no idea, but perhaps one should observe and heed the warning of Lyle Alzado.

[Strike For The South]

Lyle Alzado had a brian tumor. Could've happened to anyone. I love how the one man every champions as being the ultimate victim of steroids really was just a victim of bad luck. If "they all were doing it" Why have we not seen more of these debilitating tumors in former NFL players?

[Ironside]

I may be wrong (probably), but doesn't adding testosterone through steroids cause your body to not produce as much of it's own?

Why do you think long term users gets infertile?

[KarlXII]

[Name here] died of AIDs. Could've happened to anyone. I love how the one man every champions as being the ultimate victim of AIDs really was just a victim of bad luck. If "they were all suffering from it" Why have we not seen more of these deaths in former gay communities?

[CountArach]

As TuffStuff said, they aren't illegal. I took some when I was younger as part of my asthma medication (I used to have really bad asthma... was hospitalised a couple of times). For general use I am unsure, but I know you can get very similar things over-the-counter down here.

[rory_20_uk]

There are several types of steriod: mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, androgenic and oestrogenic steroids to name but a few. The pill is two sorts and are as available as smarties. cortisol is also widely available. I thought the discussion was on the androgenic / anabolic ones.

[Productivity]

I personally don't think having athletes die at the top of mountains with a cocktail of drugs coursing through their veins is good for sport, the athlete or the spectators.

If you don't restrict doping, that's what you'll get because it will come down to a race to see who can take the most drugs and survive in an effort to adheive the best time ever.

[rory_20_uk]

Then ban them for events. There's a time and a place for things. Alcohol is legal, but I doubt you'd want your thoracic surgeon drunk when he's got your chest open.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Lyle Alzado had a brian tumor. Could've happened to anyone. I love how the one man every champions as being the ultimate victim of steroids really was just a victim of bad luck. If "they all were doing it" Why have we not seen more of these debilitating tumors in former NFL players?

Alzado realized himself what the ramifications of "self-medicating" with these type substances had done to him, albeit to late. Not just physical changes, but psychological ones also. Could the abuse of these drugs taken purely for performance enhancement have triggered his cancer? Perhaps...perhaps not, drugs do affect individuals differently so unless there's a health related reason for taking them why take the chance. Especially when one with no real medical knowledge decides to self-medicate, and human nature being what it is figures that dose X works fine so dose 4X would be even better.

Alzado is the best known poster-child for the dangers of using these substances, but he certainly isn't the only one. Check out the premature deaths of Professional wrestlers that may also be attributed to abusing these substances. Where there's smoke there's fire....

[BigTex]

I'll tell you. Propaganda, people are force fed myths about these drugs. I find it odd that women and even men can take estrogen but god forbid men take testosterone. Its all rather silly when people spout the same information they hear on espn and cnn and take it as gospel. I mean god forbid you look it up yourself.

Completely agree, I've always found it funny that we pump our teen girls full of synthetic estrogen. But once the topic comes to synthetic testosterone, or testosterone hormone promoters people suddenly see it as so bad. Banning them from events is one thing, but why ban the guy who wants to look bigger, purely aestheticly, from taking a few milligrams of d-bol.

i dont know why they're illegal, but anything thats gonna make ur willy smaller should be illegal.

They don't cause your willy to shrink. Synthetic testosterone causes the decreased production of natural testosterone, or in some cases the complete stop of it, in the testies. The lack of testosterone production can lead to the testies shrinking, though. Which, yes can lead to sterility or very near to it, especially if started at a young age.

cortisol is also widely available

Evil...

[Craterus]

If one is bulking up to look good (pointless and shallow IMO but that's another matter), then you shouldn't need steroids because you can get muscly enough with hard work alone.

If it's for competition, then it's banned for obvious reasons.

Steroids can only bring you closer to the image posted above by Hosa, and here's a secret:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It ain't pretty.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

He looks like an alien.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Seriously.

[Papewaio]

Of course the Governator hasn't had to have any surgery because of using steroids.

Nor have any elite athletes died of heart problems at a relatively young age...

[Sasaki Kojiro]

The only reasons to take steroids:

1) medical (already legal)
2) to cheat at sports
3) to fix some kind of anti-anorexic mental issue

[rory_20_uk]

The only reasons to take steroids:

1) medical (already legal)
2) to cheat at sports
3) to fix some kind of anti-anorexic mental issue

It's not cheating at sports if use is allowed by all. In the Olympics they are banned so then it's cheating.

The mental issue would be on the lines of body dysmorphic disorder which is different to anorexia: people always see themselves as underdeveloped / fat but unlike anorexics they want to be more "buff".

People drink to get over stress, smoke to be more comfortable in a social environment. I don't see the problem in people taking the stuff as long as they are: adults, informed and not known to be mentally ill.

[Quirinus]

But what about protein shakes then? Should it be banned too because it gives an edge to the athlete who consumes it regularly? Should taking ginseng extracts or coffee before examinations be considered cheating as well?

[TevashSzat]

But what about protein shakes then? Should it be banned too because it gives an edge to the athlete who consumes it regularly? Should taking ginseng extracts or coffee before examinations be considered cheating as well?

Well those are naturally available while steroids are generally synthetic (watch somone correct me on this)

[BigTex]

Well those are naturally available while steroids are generally synthetic (watch somone correct me on this)

Prohormones, or natural animal test gorilla testosterone for example.