Steroid Use in Sports Extends Far Out of Bounds

Anabolic Steroids of the type abused by athletes
Photo credit: United States Drug Enforcement Agency

By Charles Geier
E-mail: Charlie.geier@gmail.com

Anabolic steroid abuse in sports is a major problem with far-reaching consequences.The decision made by some professional athletes to use steroids -- defined by reference.com as “Drugs with structures similar to the male sex hormones (androgens), that are used [for legitimate medical reasons], as well as illegally to promote the performance of athletes and racing animals” -- has ramifications that extend beyond the court, the arena, or the field of play.

The choices of individual athletes are also felt in our nation’s courthouses, hospitals, colleges and universities, and even on the floor of Congress. Therefore, steroid abuse by athletes affects everyone, whether or not they pay any attention to sports.

The recent furor surrounding Barry Bonds, BALCO, and leaked grand-jury testimony, has made steroids a subject of national discussion. However, this is a problem which extends beyond professional sports. Steroid abuse raises questions regarding the notion of fair play, the criminal classification of drugs, and the accuracy of commonly circulated steroid information.

The World of Sports and Steroids is a site designed to inform and to inspire dialogue. The site will feature articles, commentary, and multi-media and includes:

• A conversation with a legal expert regarding steroid consequences and classifications
• A discussion with a medical professional about health risks and education
• An article concerning the professional ramifications of steroid abuse in sports, which is intended as a jumping off point for discussion/debate.

The reader is invited to share their opinions on any and all topics, with emails to the author or comments on an article usually returned within 24 hours.

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From On the Court to In the Courts- Legal Issues with Steroid Abuse

By Charles Geier-
E-mail: Charlie.geier@gmail.com

Anabolic steroids are considered a controlled substance in the United States. This means they are illegal to use, possess, or sell without a doctor’s prescription. People who break these laws are subject to arrest and prosecution.Please vote in the polls below, then click "Read More" to continue on to the full article, which includes several links to articles about steroids in the news.

How Should Steroids be Classified and Regulated?
	Similar to "hard drugs" like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine
	Like legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco
	Like prescription medicines
	Like over the counter medicines
	They should not be regulated
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Legal cases involving steroids have recently become more prevalent in the national media. In the wake of the steroid scandal involving Barry Bonds, there have been several cases which can or have resulted in jail time for steroid offenders.

Links to some of these stories can be found below. These articles are linked to here to give the reader an understanding of some of the cases which have made their way into the mainstream media.

Doctor for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers-
Track and Field Sprinting Coach-
BALCO Cosmetic Steroid Developer-

Bonds is alleged to have received illegal performance enhancers from the Bay Area Laboratory Company (BALCO).

BALCO founder Victor Conte began a four-month prison sentence on Thursday, Dec. 1, and a further four months home confinement for his role in a scheme to give athletes undetectable performance-enhancing drugs,

Bonds' trainer Greg Anderson was also convicted of money laundering and steroid distribution and was also sentenced to three months in prison. He faced additional jail time for refusing to testify against his client Bonds. Two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, who wrote the book “Game of Shadows” about Barry Bonds and steroids, are facing jail time. Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams were given information that was leaked from grand- jury testimony, but have thus far refused to reveal their source. (NY Times)

The significance of these convictions is their intrinsic connection to the game of baseball. Rather than a stopwatch and a clipboard, trainers are accused of utilizing illegal substances. Instead of reporting about balls and strikes, reporters covering sports are investigating crimes and misdemeanors.

The World of Sports and Steroids spoke to attorney Rick Collins concerning the legal issues surrounding steroids. To read TWSS Interview with Rick Collins click here

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Collins Speaks on Steroid Laws and Perceptions

By Charles Geier-
E-mail: Charlie.geier@gmail.com




Attorney Rick Collins
Photo Credit: Bookmasters.com

Along with constituting varying levels of infraction within sports leagues, athletes who are caught using steroids illegally can face prosecution.

As steroids have moved from locker rooms to federal trials and U.S. Congressional hearings, it is important to address the legal ramifications of steroid abuse. In professional sports, athletes are paid salaries into the millions of dollars. As such, many can afford to have high-priced, high-powered lawyers defend them against steroid accusations.

Hofstra University alum Rick Collins describes himself as “the nation's foremost legal authority on performance enhancing substances.” Collins, of the New York law firm of Collins, McDonald & Gann spoke with The World of Sports and Steroids about the legal aspects of steroid use and abuse. Below are some of the questions and answers from that conversation


TWSS: What is your opinion about athletes who illegally use steroids?

Collins: Anyone who is using something which is prohibited by their sport is breaking the moral contract that they have with their organization. There is an aspect of lack of ethics and fraud . . . toward one’s fellow competitors.

TWSS: Do you feel that there is an implied code of ethics that is adopted when one chooses to participate in organized sports?

RC: I think there is certainly an implication in sports that one would conduct themselves in an honorable way. In many sports . . . the use of performance enhancing substances is [not only implied] but also explicitly prohibited.

TWSS: What about in sports where athletes are not breaking any rules by using performance enhancers like steroids?

RC: There is a moral gray area [in these instances].There are some sports where these substances are banned, but are not tested for. In those circumstances, if it is banned by the rules, notwithstanding if there is no effective testing; I believe it is breaking the rules. In sports where there are no rules, one way or the other, then it is much less clear whether one is breaking the contract one has with the sport and the other competitors.

There is a lot of ambiguity as to what a performance enhancer is -- it varies by sport.

TWSS: Do you think the ambiguity that you mentioned makes it harder to have a universal legislation, or set of rules, regarding steroid use in sports?

RC: There is a certain arbitrary nature to all of this, wherein substances like caffeine, which were considered performance-enhancing by certain anti-doping agencies, are no longer considered so.

TWSS: Is the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 [PDF document, see pages 9-12] still the most current legislation regarding steroids in the United States?

RC: No. Back in the late 80’s, Congress began to investigate the idea of athletic cheating by the use of banned substances, and hearings were held. Following the 1988 Olympics, sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for a steroid and was stripped of his gold medals, which spurred an international doping furor, and resulted in the 1990 legislation which took steroids from prescription drugs . . . to Schedule III controlled substances.

That law remained in effect until the early part of this decade, when congressional hearings were again held, prompted by concerns over doping in sports. Congressmen wagged their fingers at various professional athletes, including baseball players…..

TWSS: This is the (Mark) McGwire, (Sammy) Sosa, (Rafael) Palmiero group?

RC: Sure, Jose Canseco … and when the Balco scandal erupted in 2003, similar to the Ben Johnson doping debacle, that lit a fire under the legislation that ultimately resulted in the anabolic steroid control act of 2004. This changed the definition of an anabolic steroid . . . and paved the way for a change in the sentencing and punishments in federal steroid cases as well.

TWSS: Are anabolic steroids still classified as Schedule III?

RC: They are.

TWSS: Do think the accusation, or admission of steroid use by professional athletes has an effect on the decisions of younger athletes as to whether or not to use steroids?

RC: To an extent, there is a tendency to look up to athletes as role models, because it is in the financial interest of professional sports. I am not sure that they ought to be looked up to as role models, and not only because of steroid use.

TWSS: But do you believe that young athletes feel that to be like these athletes, who have ascended to the heights of their sport, they may need to consider taking steroids?


The Item below contains the full response by Mr. Collins to the question above




RC:
People watching these athletes can see that they have achieved these great performances, and may attribute those performances partly or in total to steroids. However (the penalty for being caught using steroids) is a lasting legacy of shame. It is a double-edged sword.

Also, I find it interesting that while people may wring their hands, and decry the use of steroids, they do not seem to care enough that they stay out of the stands or [away] from in front of the television.




TWSS: Is there specific legislation regarding steroids in New York State?

RC: There is. New York classifies anabolic steroids as a Schedule II drug, and I believe it is the only state in the nation to do so. Steroids are treated as a controlled substance under state law, which means that possession of any amount of anabolic steroids without a valid prescription is considered a Class A misdemeanor, and the unlawful sale or possession with intent to sell is considered a Class D felony, punishable by up to seven years in prison.

TWSS: Are these guidelines the same for any amount of steroids?

RC: There are no cut-offs for amounts in New York state sentencing, unlike the federal guidelines. A Class D felony can consist of one vial or one thousand vials … although a judge would, or certainly, should, treat a high quantity differently than one vial.

TWSS: Would someone who sells steroids be looked at similarly to someone who sells crack -cocaine, in terms of sentencing?

RC: It really depends, and may vary state-to-state or judge-to-judge. As steroids are a controlled substance in most states, they fall into the same category as hard drugs. You have a classification which doesn’t distinguish, in most state courts as well as federally, steroids from other drugs. The amount of media attention which has been paid to steroids, including allegations of so-called testosterone fueled ‘’roid rage’, has made some judges look at steroids as a more alarming drug than crack and cocaine.

TWSS: As far as sentencing goes, is there any legal precedent for steroid cases, or a decision frequently cited?

RC: No. Looking back historically, there was very little interest in prosecuting steroid cases for most of the 1990’s. There is no real ‘seminal steroid case ruling’. Most steroid cases did not go to trial, and still don’t. Most are resolved by pleas -- which keep them from being included in published decisions.

TWSS: In your professional opinion, do steroids deserve to be classified in the same category as some other ‘street drugs’?

RC: In my opinion no. I have always considered steroids to be the ‘apple in the orange crate’ of controlled substances. They are fundamentally different from other controlled substances … unlike the other controlled substances; they are not taken for any psychoactive effect.

Steroids are taken over time to obtain a gradual physical transformation. Surprisingly enough, from a statistical standpoint, steroids are not used primarily as a performance enhancer.

Steroids are cosmetic or appearance enhancing drugs, as used by the overwhelming majority of people who use them non-medically. If one were to look at a pie chart of those who use steroids without a doctor’s prescription, one would find that the [athletes using steroids to improve performance] are a tiny fraction of the chart.

The vast majority of those using steroids non-medically, in my experience, having dealt with thousands of such users, are mature adult males, typically between the ages of 25-45 who are not using steroids for any competitive purpose. They use steroids to build muscle and burn fat, typically follow a strict diet and exercise regimen, do not smoke, and are generally health orient[ed] individuals.

While we can all agree the use of steroids without a doctor’s prescription and monitoring is a bad idea, and poses serious risks including health risks, the people who do so are not in any way similar to a crack addict or a meth addict.

TWSS: Do you feel that the legal classification of anabolic steroids affects the public perception of steroids?

RC: I think throwing anabolic steroids into the same crate as cocaine and heroin has further fueled public misunderstanding of them. The public has generally been kept in the dark about any beneficial effects of steroids, even medically. There are contexts which must be examined.

If steroids are used to cheat in sports, they are bad. If they are used by teenagers -- non-medically -- they are bad. However, if steroids are used medically for a patient, they can be phenomenal and life-saving.

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Shooting Stars- Professional Athletes’ Accomplishments Questioned

By Charles Geier-
e-mail: Charlie.geier@gmail.com


The abuse of steroids in sports has cast a cloud of suspicion over athletes and their accomplishments. Athletes who abuse steroids are often in direct violation of rules outlined by their specific sport, and its governing body.

Along with federal laws regarding illegal use of steroids, most major professional sports organizations in the United States (NBA, NFL, MLS) have rules which explicitly prohibit the use of steroids. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, which regulates the majority of collegiate athletics in the country, also bans illegal steroids and other performance enhancing substances. However, despite the consequences, athletes repeatedly turn to steroids in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage.


According to the website of the National Institute on Drug Abuse , a federal agency, steroids are used by athletes to gain muscle and increase performance. Though these athletes have often advanced to the highest level of competition in their sport, they attempt to gain an edge on their competitors by bending or breaking the rules. Each sport has its own regulations regarding steroids, which means that rules governing transgressions and the resulting penalties differ from game to game. Despite these differences, nearly all professional sports agree that illegal steroids should not be allowed.

The National Football League's POLICY ON ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND RELATED SUBSTANCES 2006 addresses the issue of steroid use among its' players. "These substances threaten the fairness and integrity of the athletic competition on the playing field. Players use steroids for the purpose of becoming bigger, stronger, and faster than they otherwise would be." This notion of unfairly and abnormally increasing one’s abilities, to the detriment of the sport, can be applied to any athlete who chooses to abuse steroids. So why do reports of athletes being caught and disciplined continue to surface?

Recently, San Diego Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman (whose profile from Yahoo Sports can be found here)reportedly tested positive for steroids. He took up an appeal which allowed him to play an additional game, but subsequently dropped the appeal and began serving a four- game suspension. In the game he played while still in an appeal, he recorded three sacks of the quarterback, which is regarded as a standout performance for anyone who plays his position in football.

In light of his positive steroid test, his success that day -- and throughout his career -- must be called into question. Did the use of illegal steroids allow him to record the three sacks? Would he have been able to perform at that level without steroids? How many of his other accomplishments throughout his first two seasons in the NFL might fall under the shadow of the alleged illegal use of steroids?

The National Football League is not alone in its fight against steroid use. Accusations of abuse similar to those of Merriman have surrounded baseball’s single-season home-run record-holder Barry Bonds, professional cyclist and Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, and many others. These athletes have won titles and established records that set them apart from their peers in sports. However, the mere allegation of cheating means that sports fans can not be certain whether the titles were won fairly, or if records were set due only to a player’s natural abilities.

With steroid accusations circulating around professionals, college athletes are faced with a choice. The NCAA has strict policies regarding steroid use, which work in conjunction with any additional policies enforced by a college or university athletic program. Violations of these rules on the collegiate level could possibly jeopardize an athlete’s chance of ever becoming a professional. After a first positive test, the athlete is suspended for one year from the date of collection. Following a second positive test, the athlete is banned from competition for life. (http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/uwire/060906aab.html)

However, when professionals are not uniformly tested, and penalties are enforced to varying degrees, there is no way to enforce steroid regulation in all athletics.

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Steroid Users Playing with their Health: An interview with Dr. Damion Martins

By Charles Geier Charlie.geier@gmail.com



Steroid abuse in sports not only raises questions with respect to legality and fair competition, it also poses the threat of potentially serious medical ramifications for athletes. Athletes who willingly inject a foreign substance into their bodies may be putting their health -- and their lives -- in jeopardy.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, major side effects of steroid abuse “can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure, kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling”. With these significant health risks, The World of Sports and Steroids (TWSS) went to Hofstra University to determine how the issue of steroid abuse is addressed with its student-athletes.

Damion Martins is a physician who works with athletic teams at Hofstra University. His experience in the field of sports medicine includes serving as team physician for the University of Maryland, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and Coppin State University. He was also on the medical staff of the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens. Martins, a sports medicine specialist at ProHEALTH in Lake Success, spoke with TWSS about steroid education, prevention, and regulation at Hofstra University.


TWSS: What is your role at Hofstra University?

Dr. Martins: It is a dual role. I am the medical director of the athletic department, and I am also the athletic director of the athletic training education department. I teach the athletic training students, deliver lectures, [and] students shadow me in the training room, and I show them how to do things.

In terms of the athletic department, I am the team physician, and I take care of the athletes, and treat them for medical and orthopedic injuries.

TWSS: What are the rules at Hofstra regarding steroids?

Dr. Martins: These rules are dispensed to all athletes in Health & Safety Guidelines.

TWSS: Besides the distribution of materials, what else does the University do for student athletes to educate them about steroids?

Dr. Martins: Students are informed at health and safety education seminars, athletic- training orientation seminars and through team-physician interaction.

TWSS: How do you feel Hofstra as an institution does in educating athletes about the dangers of steroid abuse?

Dr. Martins: [when compared with] the different colleges, universities, and other professional teams I have worked with in the past, I think they do an excellent job of educating their athletes, and giving them the information and resources they need to understand the use and misuse of steroids.

TWSS: In your time at Hofstra, are you aware of any athletes who have tested positive for steroids? What was/would be the procedure following an initial positive test for steroids?

Dr. Martins: Not to my knowledge, no.

TWSS: Have you seen any other performances-enhancing substances being abused; substances which might not be tested for, or might not be illegal but still provide an enhancement?

Dr. Martins: Not at the college level, no. Designer steroids and human growth hormone are generally used by professional and Olympic athletes, only because of the price. They are cost-prohibitive for most college athletes.

TWSS: In your own medical experience, what do you feel the biggest health risks are for an athlete who uses steroids?

Dr. Martins: There are short term and long- term risks. The short-term risks are well-documented, but in terms of the long-term risks, the data is more fuzzy. There are questions as to whether [steroid abuse] leads to cancer, leads to heart disease. Most scientists believe they do, and most scientific research supports this belief; but similar to smoking, we all know smoking is bad for you, but how long has it taken to prove that?

There are not very many well- controlled, randomized trials that have been done to support or refute the evidence that steroid abuse is bad for you. However, I think most of us in the field will agree that steroid abuse is bad for you, and dangerous.

TWSS: What is your opinion of the public perception of steroids? Do you feel that people have an accurate picture of steroids and their effects, or do you feel there is misinformation?

Dr. Martins: I believe that maybe 20 years ago there was a lot of misinformation, but today I feel that the literature available is fairly accurate. For an athlete today to say that he did not know the significant risks associated with steroid use would be the same as a smoker saying “I didn’t know smoking causes cancer”.

TWSS: As someone in the profession where steroids can be legitimately prescribed, what are your feelings regarding the classification of anabolic steroids as a controlled substance? Do steroids deserve a place next to heroin and cocaine?

Dr. Martins: We leave the classifications up to the federal government. I do think it is appropriate that doctors remember how potent these substances are, and the potential that they have. A federal classification as a drug does help remind the doctors of the significance of what they are prescribing.

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What does it all mean?

By Charles Geier- The World of Sports and Steroids
E-mail- Charlie.geier@gmail.com

The abuse of steroids by athletes is not merely a problem for the world of sports. Certainly the athletes who abuse steroids, and the programs and organizations for which they play, face the most immediate consequences. Players can be suspended temporarily or prohibited from playing at all. Organizations can face the loss of a critical member of their team, or fines and penalties as a result of a steroid infraction.

To fully appreciate the impact that illegal steroid use can have, it is important to look at all the areas that may be affected by an athlete’s decision. Sports fans, who spend their hard-earned money to buy tickets to events, and support their team, must now consider whether their favorite athletes are following the rules. The professional sport leagues, and collegiate athletic programs, must institute specific policies which attempt to prevent steroid use among their athletes. Infractions can damage their reputation, which can be educationally and financially damaging.

In speaking with attorney Rick Collins, it became clear that there are significant legal issues which accompany the use of steroids, a controlled substance and schedule II drug. An American who might not care about the role steroids may play in an athlete breaking records, may find that they care more if that same athlete is put on trial and they are called to serve on the jury.

Along with individual sport rules and regulations, and federal laws, there are also medical risks which an athlete faces when choosing to abuse steroids. Dr. Damion Martins from Hofstra University explained how colleges and universities must take steps to educate and inform athletes about the dangers of steroids. Coaches, administrators, and parents must realize that student athletes risk not only penalties, but also their health.

The World of Sports and Steroids encompasses more than simply athletes and steroid users. To understand and address the problem of illegal steroid abuse, the true scope of the problem must be realized.

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