Dumb-bells ringing

Latest figures from the National Steroid Survey indicate there are nearly a million steroid users nationwide. This dwarfs the 60,000 estimated users identified through the Crime Survey for England and Wales and underlines a potentially significant future problem for the police. This problem is being fuelled by an increasing number of young men and women bowing to pressures from social media and using the gym to ‘look good’ – with many taking the ‘chemical short-cut’. On average, three per cent of the male population is now taking steroids, according to the National Steroid Survey, which interviewed 700 steroid users from health centres, sports clubs and ‘needle exchanges’ across the UK. Steroids are a Class C substance controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and although personal possession is not an offence, it is illegal to manufacture or import steroids into the UK with intent to supply without a licence. Profit margins from steroids are high, often rivalling those of other narcotics, which has understandably attracted the interest of established drug dealers. And many users invariably stay on steroids all year-round – rather than the recommended short-term courses – which makes for a guaranteed customer base. The association with sellers of ‘hard drugs’ also means some users are tempted to combine the two. A study by Jim McVeigh, director of the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University and Britain’s leading expert in the misuse of anabolic steroids, found that half of the people who regularly use steroids have also tried Class A drugs such as cocaine, often taking multiple quantities of both over a weekend. The results can be unpredictable. In February, bodybuilder Jamie Martin was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after sparking a panic at Somerville Primary School in Wirral by roaming around outside the gates wearing a Dracula mask and holding two kitchen knives. He was arrested by armed police and was extremely abusive during interview. He was found to be ‘high’ on a mixture of cocaine, alcohol and steroids. Steroids not only reduce the time it takes to achieve big ‘gains’ in the gym, they also enable people to achieve better looking bodies even if they have poor diets. This is because the higher the level of testosterone a person has, the less fat their body will store. Steroid use is now so commonplace that some mainstream gym chains have needle disposal units in the changing rooms. Injecting steroids is becoming a serious health issue in the UK, in part due to the naivety of users with needles. Users are now as likely to contract HIV injecting steroids as they are injecting heroin, with 1.5 per cent of all users of both testing positive. Although the overall problem is most commonly associated with young users, last month The Guardian reported that a growing number of middle-aged men were turning to anabolic steroids to make themselves look and feel more youthful and to boost their sexual performance. Those who work with users are increasingly concerned about this trend among men in their forties and fifties – and even some even in their sixties and seventies – who are taking steroids to boost energy levels and fight the effects of ageing, such as weight gain and a lower libido. With a number of high-profile former users, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger – who admitted to steroid use during the 1970s – seemingly suffering no ill-effects in later life, many are convinced that steroids are safe to use. The reality can be very different. Side-effects can be serious, though they differ depending on gender. While some men take the drugs to boost sexual performance, in reality misuse of anabolic steroids can result in a reduced sperm count and infertility, as well as erectile dysfunction, baldness and the development of breasts. They can also result in a heart attack or stroke, liver or kidney tumours and blood clots. Psychologically, users can develop so-called ‘roid rage’, or mood swings, including aggressive behaviour. For