Campaign to warn of dangers of ‘devastating’ misuse of anabolic steroids

The use of anabolic steroids without a prescription can have “devastating, long term and life threatening side effects”, the public has been warned.

A new national education campaign has begun entitled ’Zero Gains’ which is aimed, in particular, at young men who abuse anabolic steroids.

A new websites zerogains.ie has been launched and there will be an advertising campaign based in gyms.

Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) chief executive Dr Lorraine Nolan said the side effects of anabolic steroid uses includes heart failure, liver issues, kidney damage, and infertility as well as acne and hair loss.

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Abuse of anabolic steroids also leads to mood swings and aggression known as ‘roid rage’.

The use of anabolic steroids has increased tenfold in Ireland since 2015. In 2015 some 38,049 illegal doses were seized by An Garda Síocána and the Revenue's Custom Service.

Last year the figure was 449,411 illegal doses, but some 330,000 of these came from one seizure at an illegal factor in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

A survey carried out by the HPRA reveals that one in 10 adults would consider taking anabolic steroids, but that figure was one in five for those aged between 18 and 34.

HPRA chief executive Dr Lorraine Nolan said young men are under pressure to gain muscle and bulk up.

In the past this desire was associated with competitive bodybuilding and enhanced sport performance, but nowadays it is “ dominated by the desire to have the perceived perfect body image,” she said.

“ We believe there are no gains from using substances that have been shown to cause a range of physical, psychological and emotional damage when misused. The real story is that non-medical use of anabolic steroids can have devastating, long term and life threatening side effects,” she says.

Minister for Health Simon Harris said the phenomenon of young men taking steroids without understanding the risks involved had "potentially serious consequences".

He added: “The campaign uses phrases, imagery and media that will resonate with the target audience who for the most part will be young and healthy. We need them to understand, that when everything is taken into account, there are clearly ‘zero gains’ to using anabolic steroids.”