Expert: Wider steroid use causes concern

A family physician offers parental tips for detecting steroid abuse.

MINDEN, La. — Steroid use by children is becoming a growing concern, according to Dr. John Fleming, author of “Preventing Addiction: What Parents Must Know to Immunize Their Kids Against Drug and Alcohol Addiction.”

“The frequency of abuse is somewhat alarming,” he said, noting that the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that use among teens ranges from 2.5 percent for eighth-graders to 4 percent for 12th-graders.

Other authorities estimate the use to be higher. What’s worse, girls are beginning to abuse steroids at alarmingly growing rates. The use among college and professional athletes is difficult to determine, but it appears to be very high, according to Fleming, a family practice physician.

 “In our daily jargon, steroids have a specific meaning — male hormones taken to enhance muscularity and athletic performance,” Fleming explained. “These are considered abuses because they are not for legitimate medical purposes, these drugs are strictly regulated and they require a doctor’s signature.”

Consequently, most who abuse them acquire anabolic steroids through the “black market,” he said.

Trainers, fellow athletes and some nutritional stores are the favored “black market” access points. When anabolic steroids are discontinued, the muscle gains tend to go away, which is why many users become habitual abusers, he said.

Learning the signs

Fleming offers parents some telltale signs of steroid abuse:

•Abusers of anabolic hormones will usually notice the appearance of acne or worsening of existing acne.

•They will also begin to notice that over time and with chronic abuse, their facial features will become harsh and hardened.

•Anabolic steroids cause cartilage to grow and thicken, thus the nose gets wider, the jaw more pronounced and the skin thicker and more creased.

•Normal male pattern hair loss in males and females is accelerated.

•More importantly, coronary heart disease, mood swings, body image problems, psychological dependence and even aggressive and explosive behaviors, called “roid rage” have been regularly reported with steroid abuse.

•Females are likely to take on a male appearance with beard growth, development of an “Adam’s apple” and deepening of the voice, which may not be reversible.

•Males are likely to develop sexual problems and could be rendered impotent or even sterile. It commonly causes female-like breast enlargement in men.

•Worse, the results could be fatal. “The problem is that young people in competitive sports may calculate that their very athletic future depends on the continuous use of these substances,” Fleming said, suggesting that parents, coaches and educators organize against anabolic steroid abuse.