How do we decrease their use?Emphasizing the effect of drugs on immediate sport performance rather than long-term complications appeals to adolescents’ focus on the present. Programs such as ATLAS and ATHENA are team-centered, sex-specific education programs that have been implemented at the high school level with positive results (Goldberg 2000). These programs stress sports nutrition and strength training as alternatives to steroids for performance enhancement.Most large-scale drug-abuse interventions have been proven counterproductive. There have been three major types of educational strategies used to prevent drug abuse behaviors in schools:1. knowledge-only approaches2. cognitive-affective approaches3. social-psychological interventionRecent drug-prevention strategies have capitalized ona number of features that guide effective programs:Programs should be age appropriate, contain multipleyears of intervention (including initial program and subsequent booster sessions for each successive year), have detailed lesson plans and student materials, provide training in drug-resistance skills and self-efficacy, teach actual norms of drug use, and use interactive teaching methods. Activities are intended to promote positive peer influences and empower students. (Yesalis, 2000)References:Goldberg, L., MacKinnon, D. P., Elliot, D. L., Moe, E. L., Clarke, G., Cheong, J. The adolescents training and learning to avoid steroids program: preventing drug use and promoting health behaviors. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2000; 154: 332-338.National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic) (http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/steroids.html). Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June, 2000.Taylor, W. N. (2002). Anabolic steroids and the athlete (2nd ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.Yesalis, C. E. (2000). Anabolic steroids in sport and exercise (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.STEROIDSUnderstanding the dangers of one ofAmerica’s fastest growing drugs amongadolescentsWhat are Steroids?Anabolic steroids are synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring hormone testosterone. The full name for this class of drugs is androgenic (promoting masculine characteristics) anabolic (tissuebuilding) steroids (the class of drugs). The common street names for anabolic steroids include Arnolds, gym candy, pumpers, roids, stackers, and juice (Taylor, 2002).Who uses steroids? Why?Anabolic steroids are primarily used by athletes, bodybuilders, and people looking to gain a competitive advantage and/or improve their physical performance. Children as young as 12 years old have tried steroids. It is estimated that up to one million children in the US are using/have used steroids in their lifetime (Yesalis, 2000). Steroids have been linked to increasing lean body mass and strength. They are also believed to reduce recovery time needed between workouts, making it possible to train harder and improve strength and endurance. Non-athletes have been known to take steroids to reduce body fat which they believe improves their physical appearance (Yesalis, 2000).Where do you get steroids?Doctors may prescribe steroids to patients for legitimate medical purposes such as breast cancer, low red blood cell count, and delayed puberty. Veterinarians administer steroids to animals for thingslike improving weight gain, hair coat and treating anemia and other illnesses. The most common illegal source is from smuggling steroids into the United States from other countries that do not require prescriptions for purchase of these drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2000).How are steroids taken? Steroids are administered several ways including intramuscular and subcutaneous injection, by mouth, pellet implantation under the skin and by application to the skin (i.e.: gels or patches), with injection and oral administration being the most common. People abusing steroids often take two or more types of steroids concurrently, a practice called “stacking.” When steroids are taken in high doses for a period of time (6 to 16 weeks) and low doses or no drug at all for a similar amount of time, the practice is called “stacking” (Yesalis, 2000).Physical and psychological dangers (Taylor 2002)Possible physical side effects include the following: Cardiovascular problems Severe acne Thinning of hair and baldness High blood pressure Liver damage and jaundice Steroids can affect fetal development during pregnancy Risk of contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases from sharing infected needles Stunted growth Sexual and reproductive disorders: Males: Atrophy (wasting away of tissues or organs) of the testicles Diminished or decreased sperm production Breast and prostate enlargement Decreased hormone levels Sterility Females: Menstrual irregularities Infertility Masculinizing effects – facial hair, diminished breast size, permanently deepened voice and enlargement of the