Steroids: Preventing Use among NCAA Athletes
Introduction
The number of students using drugs and other chemicals substances which range from legal to illegal steroid drugs to build stronger bodies is on the increase. In a research carried out in 2000 among high school senior students, 2.5% were reported to have used steroid drugs at some point in their life. This number increased to 3.7% in the following year. decrease in disapproval of steroid use among the student from 88.8% in 2000 to 68.4% in 2001 could have been attributed to the increase (Parker and Schimmer, 67). These students later join athletics in colleges and universities while already addicted to the use of steroid rugs. The main focus should be on how to reduce or eliminate the use of steroid drugs among the high school students. In 2001, 42% of NCAA athletes found to be using steroid drugs said that they had developed the habit in high school. This number was higher than that of the research carried out in 1997 where only 25% were found to have cultivated the habit in high school (Rosenberg, 90). Teens involved in the use of chemical substances with the aim of becoming better athletes have also been found to use other forms of drugs. This means that those who engage in the use of steroid drugs are likely to be addicted to other drugs in the near future.
Introducing primary prevention programs at the high school, college and university level is of great importance since by the time these students get to NCAA, they have already become addicts and thus primary prevention is not applicable. Primary prevention is cheaper and more effective as compared to secondary prevention. There are different methods being applied to fight against the use of supplements and drugs in high school level. High schools are adopting anti-drug campaigns for all athletes. For instance, Athletes Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS) was developed for this purpose though a grant (Rosenberg, 123). The main purpose of this program is to train teenagers on how to acquire desired results without the use of drugs. It informs them on the danger of using steroid and other drugs in building muscles or in attaining improved performance in athletics. Teenagers are equipped in such a way that they can train fellow teens and assist those addicted on how to reform. For instance, the use ephedrine supplement increased from 34% in 1997 to 58% in 2001though it has been burned in NCAA. The drug is legal in US and can be bought over the counter (Parker and Schimmer, 45). Students take this supplement for weight reduction but majority of them are unaware of its negative effects. The dug can lead to stroke or cardiac arrest and thus the need to inform the students on its side effects. The role of parents and teacher should on how to assist teenagers to ensure that they are not involved in drug abuse.
Problem statement
The NCAA and Universities are not making their athletes aware of the dangers associated with steroids. As an athlete here at Penn State Fayette I know we have no drug testing programs nor do we have any programs to make us aware of the dangers of anabolic steroids. Athletes need to be informed of the risks such as: heart disease, high blood pressure, and in some cases death. Athletes need to be aware of all the side effects. If they were aware, probably the prevalence of steroid use would reduce.
Preventing the use of Steroids among NCAA Athletes
Awareness
Information is very vital in attaining desired change. In this mode of primary prevention, it is assumed that the student simply use steroids due to lack of knowledge of the negative effects. However, informing them would result to an automatic change especially for those who have not already been addicted to using the drug. In this regard, holding seminars and workshops to train the teenagers on the negative effects of steroids is paramount. To reduce the cost and achieve desired results more effectively, peer counseling is encouraged. Students are trained to train their fellow athletes. If the use of steroid drugs would reduce at the high school level, college and university level this would positively influence the result in NCAA. The information should also be provided in printed form as this would be useful as a reference point.
Another program which has the agenda of preventing steroid use is Athletics Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition (ATHENA) (Hoffman, 43). This program focuses on the girl child and aimed at promoting alternative sources of nutrients other than steroid drugs. Nutrition and exercise are enough in building muscles and weight loss. This mode of intervention is also cost effective and doesn’t place the individual at any health risk. Emphasis on the role of nutrition in promoting good health seeks to discourage poor eating habits. Eating disorders mainly experienced among the girls are tackled and discouraged during the training. These programs have been evaluated and rated as the most effective means of preventing steroid use among athletes. Those teenagers who attended such programs have better nutritional practices, less body fat and are stronger compared to those that did not attend the program. A reduction of the use of steroid among these teenagers has been rated at 50%.
The effects of using steroid to build muscles and for one to develop to a successful professional athlete are worse than one would think. Steroid use can lead to death as reported in the case of Taylor of Plano. In a speech made by his parents, Tailor was succeeding in athletes due to the use of Steroids which later lead to his death. Young athletes are more vulnerable to the steroid use and addiction. Peer influence in the private and public schools, weight rooms and locker rooms is very high. This explains the high incidence rates in steroid use among high school and college students. Once one begins taking the drugs, they develop an addiction. Though some have a desire to stop the habit, they are powerless due the addiction.
Existing Action
There are pressures to win so as to acquire promised scholarships which make the students to ignore the effects using such drugs. Those that win are given fully funded scholarships. The current economic crises being experienced at the global level may result into increased use of the drugs as students seek to secure scholarships (Rosenberg, 121). To discourage this, a means of monitoring the athletes has been sought. Those found to use steroid are punished while ensuring that rewards only go to those who succeed without the use of steroid drugs. The coaches and administrators who should be emulated by the students are also involved in the use of steroids. If the people in high ranks such as administrators and the coaches stopped using these drugs, some students would also emulate them. Programs should not only focus on preventing the use of steroid among the NCAA athletes but also on their trainers. There are efforts to ensure that selected coaches and administrators are free from the use of steroid. Students and the coaches should understand that using steroid sacrifices their long term heath for short lived benefits such as scholarship. Gaining a scholarship and later dying premature due to the use of steroids is not sensible.
Governments and organization have tried to fight against the use of these drugs by declaring them illegal. However, this is not an overall solution to the problem at hand. Whether the drugs are legal or illegal does not necessarily mean that they will not be used. Furthermore, something does not become good simply because it is legal. Persons who have been affected by the use of steroids should spearhead campaigns against the use of these drugs. Young people learn more if there is a real life situation through which they can learn though. For instance, Taylor’s parents could be of help if they explained how their son died as a result of using these drugs. Information from such people would mean a lot to the youths than if the information was simply delivered by a third party who is not closely related to Taylor. Cases of once successful athletes who died or suffered permanent injury due to the use of steroids should be documented and made available to NCAA athletes.
The use of steroid drugs mainly begins at the high school level and later continues in college level. Introducing a core lesson or subject on substance use and steroids in high schools would ensure that all students clearly understand the threats involved hence reducing the prevalence rate. In the fight against the use of steroids by students, parents are major stakeholders. They are the people that understand their children when away from schools and also give them money to cater for their needs. The family is an important socialization unit in the society. If change is not achieved at this level, it will be difficult to establish change at the community level. In this regard, parents should be educated on the harmful effects of the use of steroids by their children especially the teenagers. They should cooperate with teachers and other stake holders in the fight against the use of steroids through provision of funds and establishing counseling units. Steroid tests are very expensive a factor that limits application of the tests. The cost is estimated to be about $ 105 per single test (Rosenberg, 45).
The Health Education and Anabolic Precursor control Act has greatly contributed to the reduction in the number of athletes consuming steroids. This is so because steroids are not sold to anyone who did not have a prescription from the doctor. Over counter purchasing of these drugs was made illegal. The Act also limited advertisers on the extent of steroid advertisement and its effects on individual persons. Agencies discouraging the use of steroids have been active in informing the athletes on the danger of using these drugs. One such agency is CASPER (Coalition for Anabolic Steroid Precursor Ephedra Regulating) (Rosenberg, 89). Persons distributing anabolic steroids within 1 000 feet of the sports ground can be arrested and changes be made in regard to H.R. 207 (Parker and Schimmer, 56). President Obama declared a fight against the drugs that aid performance in athletes so as to protect young people in the country.
Action
The lack of knowledge on the effects of consuming anabolic steroids and pressures to win the competitions are the major causes of the increased use of these drugs. However, these are not the only factors that determine the consumption. These causes are also aggravated by given circumstances. Success stories from other athletes have encouraged young athletes to engage in the use of these drugs. For instance, Mark McGwire admitted his use of the supplements and attributed this to his success. As a result, most youths took this chance to give it a trial hence increasing the incidence rate of involvement in the use of steroids.
NCAA can solve the problem of the use of steroid to enhance performance by declaring that such persons will be eliminated from the competition. If this does not happen, efforts to fight against the use of anabolic steroid among the athletes might not yield any positive results. This means that young people will continue being victims of consuming steroid substances and hence placing their health at a risk. Ignoring high school students is as good as doing a job half way.
Efforts to eliminate or reduce the use of such drugs at the university and the college level are frustrated by cases of addiction to the drugs and irreversible damages made earlier in the life of the child. Those whose situations seem to be or have been declared irreversible lose the sense of life and live on the drugs. Preventing such occurrences is of great importance. In my opinion, institutions of higher learning should take up the responsibility of training their students on the impact of using such drugs. Groups should be formed that do more researches in this field. The students should also hold outreach programs through which they can train high school students on what they have already learnt. A system of circulation of information which has been found to be quite cost effective is formed. Governments in different countries and non governmental organizations should work hand in hand with each other to ensure that our youths are protected.
Methods and Procedures
Data will be collected trough a survey on the knowledge level of university and college students on the impact of steroids on human health. Questionnaires and interview schedules will be the main instruments of data collection. The questionnaires will be administered by the researcher to individual students who will be expected to answer the questions appropriately. To avoid any mistakes and inconveniences, research instruments will be pre-tested before the actual research (Parker, 111). Pre-testing will be done from a population with similar characteristics but which will be eliminated from the actual study sample.
The researcher will collect both qualitative and quantitative information to ensure comprehensiveness in the research. Quantitative data will include the number of students who have ever taken steroids in the past and the length of time he or she has been using the drugs. Qualitative data will include the existing knowledge concerning the drugs and the attitudes of student to consumption of the drugs.
Sampling
The sample for this research will be athletes in university and college. To ensure full representation, schools from which samples are to be collected will be selected randomly and 20 students will be picked from each. The total number of students to be collected is 200. Participation in the research will be on a voluntary basis hence the participants will be expected to sigh the consent form. Collection of samples from students in different school will ensure that the finding are accurate, precise and are generalized to a wider community.
Drug testing has become an expected routine practice that must be carried out before a competition. According to past researches, 20% of athletes from colleges have been reported to have been involved in the use of anabolic-androgen steroids (Parker and Schimmer, 34). The steroids are taken either though injections or orally and use the drugs by stacking and cycling. Stacking means that students consume more than one type of the drugs while cycling means that they periodically take the drugs. Pyramiding is another mode of consuming the drugs where the student increases the dose gradually. The effects of these modes of consumptions have not been identified. Anabolic-androgen agents have been found to suppress gonadotropin releasing hormone, folic stimulating hormone, endogenous testosterone production, luteinizing hormone and feedback inhibition of hypothalamic pituitary testicular axis (Rosenberg, 28). Some effects of the use of anabolic steroids require an operation to reverse the situation while others are totally irreversible such as importance.
Conclusion
The use of anabolic steroids among the athletes has more negative impacts than the perceived benefits. The effects may be worse than an athlete can imagine. There are reported cases where the use of these drugs has claimed lives. NCAA greatly considers the health of athletes and seeks to protect them from any harm. As a result, NCAA discourages the use of steroids and other form of drugs that interfere with an athlete’s performance or endanger their health. The passion to protect athletes has resulted to the establishment of test that aims at identifying any athlete who has been on the use of these drugs. Such persons have been denied a chance to participate in the competitions, a factor that has contributed to an improved situation.
NCAA seeks to protect athletes from all dimensions. As a results, producers and marketers of such rugs are not spared if their actions by any means encourage the use of anabolic steroids. A research on the current situation, level of knowledge of health effects of steroids among university and college students and possible solutions to the problems is important. If this is not done, the country might lose some of its productive youths to the addiction and in extreme cases to death.
Works Cited
Hoffman, B. Catecholamines, sympathomimetic drugs, and adrenergic receptor antagonists. In: Hardman JG, Limbird LE, eds. Goodman and Gilman’s the pharmacologic basis of therapeutics. 10th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 1996
Rosenberg, M. Fuentes, J. Anabolic steroids and the athlete. In: Fuentes RJ, Rosenberg JM, eds. Athletic Drug Reference Durham, N.C.: Clean Data, Inc, 1999
Parker, L. Schimmer, P. Pituitary hormones and their hypothalamic releasing factors. In: Hardman JG, Limbird LE, eds. Goodman and Gilman’s the pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 10th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2001
