A 2004 Newsweek
article estimated that in the previous year, (2003), 300,000 teens
between the 8th and 12th grades had tried steroids. That number is a dramatic
increase from a decade before 2003. These estimated users included both boys and girls hoping to
improve their performance in sports such as football or track and field,
or simply to become more muscular and improve their appearance.
Opponents of the use of performance-enhancing drugs at the professional level
argue that their use by professionals inspires many young people to try them. They continue to argue that
those whose bodies are still developing may be at even greater risk for more
harmful health effects.
Steroids can interfere with the natural processes of puberty.
For boys, the sudden surge of testosterone can create
male pattern baldness and violent mood swings. The Steroids may also cause the
body to stop producing its natural testosterone. The body not producing its natural testosterone can limit bone
growth and result in males developing female characteristics such as breasts and
a high voice. Also, some boys who have tried to quit steroids have developed
severe depression and a few cases led to suicide.
Girls may become
more masculine, lose body fat (including breasts) and develop facial
hair and a deep voice as a result of using steroids.
In many cases
parents, teachers, or coaches are oblivious to young people using steroids . This is often because steroid testing, at $50 to $100 a test, can be too expensive for schools. Some people
feel that there should be more extensive testing and other programs to
combat what they consider to be an epidemic of performance-enhancing
drugs among youth.
Source
It is stupid and unfair for young athletes to be taking steroids. It hurts themselves and it cheats everyone else out of pure competition in youth sports.
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