The use of anabolic steroids is
becoming mainstream as young men turn to the drugs
to boost self-confidence and improve body image,
experts warn.
The charity DrugScope found steroid
abuse was a significant problem in 11 out of 20
towns and cities it surveyed.
The drugs have traditionally
been used by elite athletes and bodybuilders.
But DrugScope found evidence
of widespread use by young professionals, building-site
workers and students for purely aesthetic reasons.
Young people see the drugs as
an easy way to achieve a muscled, toned physique,
the charity warned.
Supply of the Class C drug, a
human growth hormone, is illegal, but possession
is not.
Side effects of steroid misuse
in men include reduced sperm count, kidney and
liver problems, high blood pressure and increased
aggression.
Injectors also risk contracting
viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and C.
Martin Barnes, chief executive
of DrugScope, said: "The rise in the number of
young men misusing steroids is extremely worrying
and seems to be in response to a growing obsession
with the ideal body image.
"There are serious risks associated
with steroid misuse, but people may ignore the
dangers or not seek help because they do not consider
themselves drug users.
"A and E departments are seeing
increasing numbers of young people, some as young
as 15 and 16, with needle injection injuries.
"Gyms, drug and health services
should provide more information and practical
support for young people exposed to steroid misuse."
The DrugScope survey also found
evidence of an increase in the simultaneous use
of heroin and crack cocaine - a practice known
as "speedballing".
In south London, the phenomenon
is so common the combined substances are being
treated as a drug in its own right.
