Steriods.
Class C
Common Names - As a pharmaceutical product, steroids come with many different trade names. Commonly used anabolic steroids are Anavar, Sustanon and Dianabol, Winstrol, Deca-Durabolin. Also known as roids, juice, and gear.
Description
Anabolic steroids are the main drug used by athletes to build up the body. They come as tablets or powder mixed with water for injections.
How it is used
Tablets are swallowed. The injections are administered directly into muscle, rather than into veins.
Effects
When used in conjunction with strenuous exercise, steroids will add bulk to muscles. The effect will be lost once the drug is stopped. Anabolic steroids are closely related to testosterone, the male hormone. Women taking anabolic steroids develop a deeper voice, facial hair and menstrual problems, whilst men may develop breasts and impotence. These effects may be permanent.
The risks:
- Unwanted side effects associated with steroid use include irritability and aggressiveness ('roid rage'), acne, accelerated hair loss, and a bloated appearance.
- In women steroids have a masculinising effect. This can lead to growth of facial and body hair, baldness, a deepening voice deepening, shrinking breasts, enlargement of the clitoris and disruption of the menstrual cycle.
- For men the risks include erection problems, breast growth, shrinking testicles, reduces sperm levels and possible sterility.
- Some of these side-effects, such as breast growth, can be irreversable without surgery.
- Recent studies link steroid use to nerve cell damage in the brain.
- Long term heavy use may damage the heart, liver and kidneys. Young people taking steroids may find their growth rate adversely affected.
- Injecting steroids can damage veins, while sharing needles or syringes places users at risk of infection from HIV and hepatitis.
Anabolic Steroids are Class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is not an offence to possess the drugs or to import or export them in medicinal form for personal use. It is an offence to supply them or possess them with the intent of supplying.
Risk Reduction
Those who inject should always use new injecting equipment and dispose of it safely, to help reduce the risks of Hepatitis and HIV.