According to a national survey released by Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, steroid use among teens is rising. In 2012, 5 percent of teens reported "ever have used" synthetic growth hormone without a prescription; the number has rose to 11 percent. In the study, it noted that African-Americans and Hispanic teens are using steroids at a higher rate compared to any other ethnicity.
Steroids are becoming more popular among teens athletes as the study mentioned. It may not be totally wrong to suggest that athletes play a part in teens wanting to try steroids. Teens tend to look up to athletes, and they want to look like them as well. Athletes who dope send a message to young teens that it is okay to dope to gain a little competitive advantage. This sends the win at any cost message which compromises the integrity of the game. The win at any cost mentality not only hurts the athlete that uses steroids but it also hurts the other athletes in the game and the sport itself. It hurts the other athletes because people suspect the other athletes of doping and it undermines the hard work that other athletes put into honing their skills and body as well.
Professional athletes who dope are not the only ones who are to blame for teens using steroids. Sometimes it may be the pressure to look a certain way or to be faster so sometimes teens turn to steroids to help them reach their goal. Scouts, coaches, parents and etc. may play in an indirect role in teens using steroids. Because some teenagers do not understand how their body works and do not understand the negatives in using steroids, they take them in hopes to find an answer to their problem or a quick solution. Pressure created by outside forces creates this lack of judgment to entice teens in to doping and it is something that more parents, coaches, and even scouts should work on to not create unnecessary pressure but instead show the student athletes how to reach their goals the right way.
For more information about steroid use among teens, visit http://www.drugfree.org/newsroom/pats-2013-teens-report-higher-use-of-performance-enhancing-substances
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