Student Anabolic Steroid Statistics

Steroid use has become an increasingly frustratingincreased use with 1.4% using in the month prior
problem for those in the professional sportsto the survey and 2.5% using in the year prior to
industry with admissions by major players thatthe survey.This same study shows that gender,
steroid use was involved in their lives. Even morerace, and cultural beliefs highly impact the decision
frightening than the widespread abuse of steroidsof whether or not to use steroids. The research
by professional sports players is the alarmingshows that Caucasian students are more likely to
number of teenagers and young athletes usinguse steroids than African Americans, Hispanics, or
steroids with the belief that they will help themthose of other races. Gender also plays a key
become faster, stronger, or better at performingrole in determining who will develop an addiction to
in athletic competitions. People have taken steroidssteroids or use them at least once. Men use
for football, baseball, swimming, wrestling, weightsteroids overwhelmingly more than women. In this
lifting, running, and other sports. When thecase, the pressures of the gender may contribute
statistics are reviewed, they show that steroidto the development of this type of addiction.
use is increasing in this age group, which can haveMost women are encouraged to be pretty or thin,
serious consequences.A study that wasbut men are expected to be masculine, strong,
conducted from 1999 to 2001 shows that steroidand physically fit. Many fathers encourage their
use among teenagers has been on the rise andsons to participate in athletics, leading their sons
gives statistics that support that assumption. Into believe that top performance is a must. These
1999, 2.7% of tenth grade students report havingyoung men then turn to steroids to help them
used steroids at least one time in their lives, whilebuild muscle mass, run faster, hit the ball harder,
2.9% of twelfth grade students reported steroidor have more energy and stamina.The use of
use. The survey was repeated in 2001 andanabolic steroids and steroidal supplements is
showed that the incidence of steroid use hadcertainly an issue for student athletes. The best
increased. Tenth grade students reported a 3.5%way to reduce the incidence of steroid use is to
incidence rate of steroid use, while the use ofemphasize natural methods of bulking up and
steroids by twelfth-graders increased to 4%. Theperforming better such as cardiovascular exercise,
same study surveyed the sample of students andweight bearing exercises, and a healthy diet. With
asked how frequently their steroid use occurred.this type of positive encouragement, students
In the tenth grade group, 1.0% had used steroidsmay feel less pressure to perform well and avoid
within the month preceding the survey and 2.2%using steroids as a means of performance
had used steroids within a year preceding theenhancement.
survey. The twelfth grade group showed