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See this cow? Obviously, it has been injected with a ton of growth hormones, like millions of other cows, to make them grow faster and larger. Well America- this is where our Big Mac comes from! If the government wants to be our nanny and they may as well regulate everything we choose to put into our body. Along with steroids should probably be Big Macs, Whoppers... how about Outback's bloomin' onion? That can't be beneficial to one's health. How about Taco Bell's 500 calorie “salad?” Jamaican beef pattied? Twinkies? Redbull? Splenda? Cheeseybread? Protein shakes? Meal replacement bars? Hydroxycut? Muscle Milk? Viagra? Botox? Since when do we tolerate the government telling us what we can and cannot do with our own bodies? Do we want our politicians to spoon feed us what they claim to be healthy? The government's job in not to tell us what we can put into our bodies. If a person wants to inject botulinum toxin into their face to make their wrinkles disappear, why can't a skinny guy inject steroids into his biceps to make his muscles look bigger? If we allow the government to outlaw steroids, we are opening a gateway for them to outlaw some of America's favorite foods. A person can serve up to five years for selling steroids—that's more then a thief or a drunk driver. What's next? Fat police to lock up all the obese Big Mac fans? My point is this—the government is not our nanny, and by outlawing steroids, the government is actually creating a bigger problem for themselves and their citizens. Legalizing steroids is really the only reasonable way to create a balance between what the government and the people want (Burge, 35).

Anabolic steroids are any drugs or hormonal substances that are chemically related to testosterone, a male hormone that promotes muscle growth. There are currently more than 100 varieties of anabolic steroids that have been developed, but only a handful that have been approved for human and veterinary use. (Muscle Talk Pro) Still, these approved steroids require a prescription in order to be used medically in the United States. Many illegal steroids are smuggled in from other countries, illegally diverted from pharmacies, or synthesized in secret laboratories. Approximately $400 million worth of black-market steroid sales take place every year. Steroids are often used through injection, by using a needle to inject the drug either intravenously or intramuscularly. There are even pills and gel tablets that can be taken orally, along with cream that can be rubbed directly onto the skin. (Muscle Talk Pro) Steroids have received a horrible reputation based on misunderstandings and false information. Testosterone can be found in the human body and can be taken to regulate functions of the human body. The problem only arises when steroids are abused. (Michalik, 15)

The history of anabolic steroids traces back to as early as the 1930s, before the term “steroid” was even used. A team of scientists were able to create a synthetic form of testosterone to help treat men who were unable to produce enough of the hormone for normal growth and development and sexual functioning. During World War II, it was found that this same form of testosterone could be used to help malnourished soldiers to gain weight and improve their overall performance. After the war, athletes began to use steroids to enhance their performance during competitions. Soviet athletes, especially wrestlers, performed at exceptionally high levels in the 1956 Olympics. (Dimeo, 40) After learning that these athletes were using testosterone, an American physician, Dr. Zeigler, created a more specialized form of what we know as anabolic-androgen steroids (also known as AAS), which combine anabolism (cell growth) and androgenic (virilising, meaning that they development and maintenance of masculine characteristics). (Muscle Talk Pro) Steroids became increasingly popular among Olympic athletes, professional sports players and high school athletes. U.S. Legislation on anabolic steroids goes back to late 1980s, when the United States Congress considered placing anabolic steroids under the Controlled Substances Act following the controversy over Ben Johnson's victory at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. During deliberations, the American Medical Association (AMA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) all opposed the listing of anabolic steroids as controlled substances, citing that the use of these hormones does not lead to the physical or psychological dependency required for such under the Controlled Substance Act. Nevertheless, anabolic steroids were added to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. (Dimeo, 45-49)

Except for some notoriously known facts, little is known about the real side effects of anabolic steroids. Publications and websites created with the noble aim of helping people avoid harmful steroid abuse practically do not quote any serious research and instead publish scary stories of individuals suffering some tragic consequences, presumably caused by steroid abuse.

This leads me to my first of three reasons why the United States should legalize steroids. When you ban a substance, the black market and the underworld seize the opportunity. In 1920, alcohol was banned in the U.S. and the American Mafia entered the economy as a significant player. Moonshine (the illegally produced alcohol) caused more harm to those drinking it, than legitimately produced alcohol would actually cause (Dimeo, 57). Like alcohol, if steroids were legalized, there would be less abuse. Today, most of anabolic steroids used by athletes are made in underground laboratories under substandard hygienic conditions from hormones of unknown quality, usually smuggled in from China. There is no supervision and no sterile handling and storage. Legalizing steroids would give doctors the ability to monitor users and regulate intake amounts and dosages. (Burge, 40-42) One real danger with steroid use is not knowing where your black market products are coming from and what they actually are. For all you know, half of your man made steroids could be vegetable oil, that you are then injecting into your bloodstream. Also, with regulation, it would not be easy to abuse steroids, which is really the one way steroids themselves are actually dangerous. These dangers and others would be almost totally eliminated if steroids were legalized. (Michalik, 46-47)

Cost is another reason to legalize steroids. Over $400 million per year is spent on steroids in the black market (Gottfried, 10). Legalizing steroids would reduce the demand in the black market and would make costs more competitive. Law enforcement costs on steroid sale investigations would also decrease. Therefore, legalizing steroid use would reduce costs to users and taxpayers. You would no longer see steroid pushers in the gym, and instead, steroid sales would be regulated. Users would know the fair value of steroids, and when buying them, they would know they aren't being given fakes. (Gottfried, 27-31), (Michalik, 30)

A third reason for legalizing steroids is safety. Legalization would ensure safe products, that the government can monitor. (Burge, 48) Physicians would know what dosage is adequate for a certain individual. This would prevent users from over doing the amount and causing harm to their bodies. Right now, steroids are not legal and a person can use as much as he or she wants. Steroids alone are not the problem. Abuse of steroids is the problem. Steroid abuse comes from the lack of knowledge that users have because of steroid prohibition. The U.S. should legalize steroids and educate the public on how they can be used properly and safely. (Gottfried, 18) Legalization would allow for effective studies on humans and steroid use. Most of our knowledge regarding steroids comes from tests done on animals. Legalization would allow for better research and more effective studies on the advantages and disadvantages that steroids have on the human body.

Opposition to legalization says that using steroids is dangerous. The only research that has been done shows that like alcohol, steroids have no dangerous effects on the body, unless they are abused or improperly used. Others argue that bodybuilders and athletes who use steroids are “cheating.” My response to that is history. Hundreds of years ago in Peru, the Incas used the burned leaves of coca trees to give them great amounts of energy when faced with battle. Even today, people drink coffee to get through the day or sleeping pills to guarantee a good night sleep. Is that “unfair” because others choose to rough it through the day? Either way, that is in no way up to the government to say, but rather, up to the individual. However, legalization, regulation and education are up to our government. Continuing to prohibit steroids in the United States will not cease the problem of abuse. Our government needs to accept the reality that steroid use will continue.

Bibliography

Burge, John. "Legalize and Regulate: a Prescription for Reforming Anabolic Steroid Legislation." Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment 15(1994): 33-50. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.

Dimeo, Paul. "1876-1976 Beyond Good and Evil." A History of Drug Use in Sport. New York, New York: Routledge, 2007. N. pag. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. http://books.google.com/books?id=X8MP14Rjka4C&pg=PA69&dq=steroid+history&hl=en&ei=WyWDT9GIBvS10QG3mpXRBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=9&ved=0CGQQ6wEwCA#v=onepage&q=steroid%20history&f=false

Gottfried, Ted. Should Drugs Be Legalized? Brookfield, Connecticut: Twenty First Century Books, 2000. Web.

Michalik, Steve. Atomic Fitness: The Alternative to Drugs, Steroids, Wacky Diets, and Everything Else That's Failed. Laguna Beach, California: Basic Health Publications, Inc., 2006. Print.

Muscle Talk Pro- Zack. "General Structure and Synthesis of Steroids." Chemistry And Structure Of Anabolic And Androgenic Steroids. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. <http://articles.muscletalk.co.uk/article-steroid-chemistry.aspx>.