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Anabolic Steroids

aka: roids, gear.

What are they

Anabolic steroids are often bought in tablet form, but are available in liquid form for injecting. They are prescribed by doctors sometimes after serious injuries to help build up strength and muscles. They are used by body builders and athletes to help enhance their performance and improve recovery time. Anabolic steroids contain the male hormone testosterone.

What are the effects?

  • Sports people use them, as they say it makes them train harder.
  • It can make you more aggressive.
  • If used with a strict exercise regime, they can help build muscle mass.
  • Enables you to recover faster from exercise.
  • Mood swings.
  • Headaches, acne and loss of hair.

What are the risks?

  • You can become aggressive and violent.
  • They can cause kidney and liver damage.
  • You can have dramatic mood swings.
  • Can cause baldness and water retention.
  • It can make men’s breasts develop and cause beard growth on women.
  • Increase or decrease your sex drive and may cause your penis to shrink. You could become sterile.
  • Develop problems getting an erection.
  • You may start to become paranoid, confused, depressed and have trouble sleeping.
  • They can increase your blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke

Injecting

If you are injecting, there is a greater risk of overdosing and injecting brings on many other problems e.g. vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. If you use dirty needles, you are at risk from HIV and hepatitis. Use needle exchanges to get clean needles - phone GDAS on 01452 381166 to find your local needle exchange.

The Law

The following steroids are now Class C drugs:

4-Androstene-3, 17-dione, 19-Nor-4-Androstene-3, 17-dione, 5-Androstene-3, 17-diol, 19-Nor-5-Androstene-3, 17-diol. Other anabolic steroids are prescription only drugs; it is illegal to sell or supply but not illegal to possess.

The Law

Staying Safe

  1. Beware quantities used. Many users will not know much about this and need to find out.
  2. Only use for short periods in a strictly controlled way.
  3. Beware psychological dependence i.e. I can’t compete, do well, look good without them.
  4. Beware of possible side effects and seek medical advice if needed.
  5. Particular care needs to be taken if injecting including quantities, infection and avoidance of sharing.
  6. Beware of possible tendency towards violent and aggressive behaviour (roid rage)
   
   

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