Rafal+C.

__Teens and Steroids__

__Intro​__ There are High School Athletes everywhere around the whole world, and most of them wanting to get somewhere with their sport. Whether you’re a High School Wrestler and want to make it somewhere with the sport your love and trying to find a way to become the best ever, or whether you’re a High School Basketball Player trying to get a scholarship to the College you love to eventually play basketball in the NBA, you’re always looking for a way to get better and become the best you can be. Many thrive to achieve their goal and will work all day and night, day in and day out to be like their role models. Some run miles to become the best conditioned. Some sprint to become the fastest they can be. Some weight lift to become the strongest and best looking they can be. And all of them are as determined as ever. But some of them will take the easy way out. Some of them won't want to work hard enough, and want to put in less work as the other guy but be better. They want to be cheap and cheat their way in. And this is where steroids come in. Steroids are an easy way to do hard things that are accomplished by working hard. And worst of all, Steroids can seriously harm you.

​__About __  Steroids, or Anabolic - androgenic steroids, have many effects. For example, the main purpose of these drugs is that they build muscle, increase strength, and improve performance (Skancke 72). Steroids can be taken in different forms like injected, eaten, or rubbed into the skin (Egendorf 11). You hear this and you think to yourself, Wow! All I have to do is take this drug and I’ll be strong? It goes farther than that. Medical Research shows that steroids are actually NOT proven to improve performance or endurance (Skancke 72). Also, these drugs have many effects that I’ll explain later.

__ The Truth __  Statistics show that teens have been using steroids has increased 67 percent since 1991 (Skancke 71). As I stated, teenagers wanted to be just like their role models. But many of them don't understand that the greatest athletes and their role models don't and never did use steroids. We see these people that are big and strong and we want to be just like them. We dress like them, act like them, eat the things that they eat. Many people want to be just like their admired ones. Some even think that sports are bigger then education in the United States. High schools, except a select few, don't test for steroids. And not testing for steroids is showing these kids that they can go ahead and use them, because they won't get caught (Skancke 71). One reason High School's don’t test is because it costs a lot of money. Well even though it costs a good amount, it will get rid of many problems. College Athletics test their student athletes for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.

But there is a difference in sports today with teenagers. Teenagers don't usually do a sport each season (so 3 sports) anymore (Schwab 1). In today's day, teens dedicate themselves to a single sport and train year-round hoping to advance in that sport. Whether its basketball, football, whatever sport you say, there is a pre-season and a post-season. Basketball teams usually play 60 games during the summer and pre-season, and then about 25 games during the actual season. And then after the season there is a ton of private clubs, camps, clinics, etc. A coach himself also expects his players to dedicate themselves year round to the sport to be great player and an even better team (Schwab 2). So the sport of basketball itself is not only basketball now. It is separate conditioning, weightlifting, and the basketball aspect. Teens feel like they can't handle all of the training themselves and need help. This is where they turn to steroids.

 __The Effects__  Steroids are not only illegal and a horrible thing to do, but they cause health problems and have many effects. For example, they cause shrinking testicles, acne, and a high percent of liver damage which may cause serious problems (Skancke 71). They cause you to have a d eeper voice, and your amount of facial hair will increase. But one of the most dangerous risks is an increase risk of heart attack, because they increase your blood pressure and cholesterol, which has an effect on your heart (Skancke 72). In females, steroids can cause a change in the menstrual cycle (Egendorf 12). They may also increase hormone levels (Egendorf 12).

Steroid users are not only getting physical problems using steroids, but also psychological ones. Roid Rage is a term used for the uncontrollable rage and bursts of anger that come with using steroids (Egendorf 12).

And most importantly, steroid users are straight up cheaters. They are living their lives as a life. What good is all these awards and accomplishments they achieve if they didn’t really earn any of them? They think that they are cool just cheating their way into fame. While others are working and sweating and putting in hours and hours to get better and get to that next level and that level of fame, steroid users are injecting and cheating in their lives.

__The Stats__ So in every sport there are statistics. Wether its your batting percentage, your 3 point field goal percentage, or your fastest lap time, people obsess over stats. So here are some stats for you.


 * According to Sports Illustrated, 15 million Americans use performance-enhancing drugs (Skancke 97).
 * The Mayo Clinic reports that 10 percent of steroids users (approximately 300,000 people) are teenagers (Skancke 97).
 * More than 1 million American adults have taken steroids, according to a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Skancke 97).
 * A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005 found that nearly 5 percent of high school students have used steroids without a doctor's prescription (Skancke 97).
 * A 2006 study by the NCAA has found that only 32 percent of college athletes have ever been tested for drug use (Skancke 99).

So, hearing this, what do you think? Steroids are growing and growing in high school athletics, and people are cheating themselves into fame. What good does it do you to become and all state athlete and beat so many records if you didn't do hard work to do it? Steroids are one of the worst things an athlete can do, and these things should be tested for and banned now.

Want more info? Check out these sites: [] [] [] [] []

Works Cited Egendorf, Laura K., ed. //Steroids//. Farmington Hills: Thomas Gale, 2006. Print. Mannie, Ken. "Testing Inhibits the Development of Performance-Enhancing Drugs." //Opposing Viewpoints.// Greenhaven Press, 2008. //Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.// Web. 1 Jan. 2010.  Mihoces, Gary. "Steroid Use Is a Growing Problem Among American High School Athletes."//Opposing Viewpoints. // Greenhaven Press 2001. //Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center//. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. Schwab, Greg. "Steroid Use Among High School Athletes Is a Growing Problem." //Opposing Viewpoints.// 2006. //Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center//. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. Schwab, Greg. "Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs Is a Problem Among Teens." //Opposing Viewpoints.// 2008. //Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.// Web. 27 Jan. 2010. Skancke, Jennifer L., and Lauri S. Friedman, eds. //Athletes and Drug Use//. San Francisco: Gale, 2004. Print.