Dangers

Win. Win. Win. There is no losing, just winning, at all costs. Get bigger, get stronger, hit harder, run faster longer, DESTROY YOUR COMPETITION. This is the message of contemporary sports in America. Winning is everything, losing is unacceptable. Winners go on to become famous and sign million dollar contracts, losers watch them on television. With all of the societal pressure young athletes are faced with to succeed, be it from the media, parents, coaches or peers, it is no wonder that a surprising number turn to illegal performance enhancing drugs to give them an edge over their competition.

According to a 1999 National Institute of Drug Abuse survey, steroid use among students is now at its highest point in a decade, with an estimated 479,000 students nationwide, or 2.9 percent, having used the drug by their senior year of high school.