Why are we blaming athletes for teen steroid use?

Does anyone actually care about steroids? Is it up to the athletes to be role models to the youth of America by maintaining a clean drug free life style? How many professional athletes use Anabolic steroids? At this time I couldn’t find any statistics that covered all professional sports but it’s obvious that the number is very high given the recent cases in the media.


A scary statistic is that 5% of teenage boys and 2.5% of teenage girls have used some type of anabolic steroid. Is this the fault of the processional athlete? Not likely, the teenagers using these drugs are doing so to obtain an edge or keep up with their peers. Don't think they they are so far sited that they really think they have to keep up with the pros while still at the middle school level.


Given the fact that most athletes are generally on some type of prescription steroids it doesn’t make sense that the athletes that are the product of the environment should be blamed for the fact that teenagers are using. After all, if by chance they excel in their sport and become professional athletes they will be called upon to use steroids to heal their bodies faster.


Sports are big business in America and all over the world. Big business always wins and this is no exception. Why? People enjoy seeing bigger, faster powerful athletes. Football, baseball, MMA and professional wrestling will always have some form of legitimate steroids use and a sub culture of people who abuse them. It's human nature to be addicted to power and steroids can provide that power in one form or another for most addicts of the drug.


I watched a segment on Fox news about the growing rate of catastrophic injuries in High School cheer leading. I can be reasonably concluded that with the enhancement of this sport, steroids will follow close behind.


Ultimately it comes down to the parents and the coaches to teach the difference between acceptable use of steroids for heeling the body and being part of the sub culture that uses the drugs simply for enhancement reasons. In most cases there is an underlying mental reason for the decision to use such drugs and it isn’t up to the athletes to find this underlying reason, it’s up to the parents to seek the proper medical attention in efforts to help their children.


Detachment parenting has gone along way in putting a bridge between kids and their parents but this is a simple case of not paying any attention. It’s easy to see steroids and easier to see their affects. I personally find it hard to believe that a parent that truly cares and pays attention to their child can overlook the symptoms and results of steroid use. Face the facts and realize that steroids are not just a professional athletes drug! Face the fact that the professional athlete should not be a hero to your children. You should be the hero and the mentor to your children. Then and only then will our kids understand what is right and wrong.