Steroids+Are+a+Problem+-+Editorial

Steroids: A problem for college, high school athletes
by John Editor, San Mateo Herald

Steroids have been in sports for as long as they have come into existence, and some sports such as baseball have become synonymous with steroid use. But it has not been until recently that the crackdown on steroids has really taken place. Yet with the increased awareness of steroids in our nation's professional sports, one thing is quickly becoming overlooked; the source of most steroid use to many of today's athletes, high schools and colleges.

The most important message is being all but lost. Instead of trying to inform student-athletes of the dangers of steroids, college and high school athletes need to be aware of the very real risks to their health before it's too late. Coaches and families should be discussing the dangers of this dream in a bottle.

With so much emphasis being focused on the cheating aspects of anabolic steroid use, very little is being said or discussed about the truly devastating effects that can come from prolonged use of steroids such as liver damage, increased cholesterol levels, and possibly death. These are some of the extreme risks that youth of the nation are willing to take in order to not only get a competitive edge in their sports, but to just keep up with their peers.

With all the negative consequences seemingly intangible and shrouded in a veil of uncertainty and doubt, it is easy to see why athletes are willing to take that gamble when the very real outwardly physical effects of steroids quickly take effect and results are immediately seen.

With a greater awareness the nation is starting to crackdown on steroid use in professional sports, which has to this point been culminated by congressional hearings in baseball and an overhaul of the drug testing policy. A more vigilante approach on cleaning up other major sporting teams in the US is occuring. This approach may bring the steroid era in professional sports to an end.

We should not forget about the student athletes that feel the pressure of having to partake in the culture of steroids just in order to cash in on an industry that is throwing out millions of dollars in the direction of great young athletes. We must remind ourselves that no amount money is worth the health and safety of our athletes just for our entertainment, because what good is having a large bank account with having a long healthy life to be able to fully enjoy it?