Steroid abuse by high school student athletes is increasing in alarming rates. The accessibility of performance-enhancing drugs on the internet makes teens an easy target. An incident in Orange County involved an eighteen-year old student athlete from Bridge City High School who was arrested for misdemeanor charges for possession of dangerous drugs, in this case, Tamoxifen Citrate, a type of anabolic steroid. The student began using steroids in his sophomore year while hanging out with older athletes who were also using the drug. He stated that he became more motivated to work out as his muscles and physical strength began to increase, along with the thought of being better in sports and the recognition he received when winning in competitions. But with these seemingly promising events, steroidal side effects were starting to take their toll on his health. The once quiet teen became irritable most of the time. And eventually, he was arrested, suspended from school and banned to attend school sports activities.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that steroid abuse can lead to aggression and manic-depressive symptoms that could lead to violence. User may also suffer from paranoid jealousy, delusions and impaired judgment. Steroid can also lead to serious irreversible side effects and health problems such as jaundice, liver damage, fluid retention, high blood pressure, renal failure, severe acne, stunted growth and even increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Aside from aggressive and extensive efforts made by school officials, parents also need to be aware of signs of steroid use in their teens. While many parents hope that the incident in Bright City High School will not happen to their kids, it is vital to communicate with teens about the serious effects of performance-enhancing drugs and encourage them to test for steroid use. At present there are steroid testing kits available from sources like Testcountry. Testcountry home-testing kits can be used with confidentiality in one’s own home and deliver accurate results in minutes.
