SAFER SCHOOLS NEWS-VOL. 82 

Chemical Warfare in High School   Let's Stop the violence!  See how KEYS can help!! Learn more... Crisis Response items

The threat is not Sarin, VX or Mustard gas. It is steroids. The old cliché was “No Pain, No Gain” now it is “Skip the work, take a pill.” The problem is compounded by the adult world that does not see these pills as “narcotic” therefore they are OK. Sports and other physically competitive areas have exalted Some Say: “Skip the work, take a pill.” those who have used steroids.  In the adolescent mind this is the same as exalting the drug and even giving permission. Those who see that it is not completely legitimate, see it as similar to “Cliffs Notes” which are widely used as academic short cuts. However, reading a condensed classic or watching the movie rather than reading the book may be cheating but does not affect the body’s health over a period of 15-20 years. Taking steroids may affect the body for a lifetime. No one knows for sure. What is known, is that steroids in pill form leave concentrations in the liver and can cause permanent damage, they often damage the heart, brain and other organs. Students are bombarded with information, both factual and otherwise. To many, “lifetime” is next semester, graduation or next weekend. The media, coaches and even parents lift up college and professional athletes as examples. When steroids are mentioned, they are minimized. Except for the Olympics, the records still stand and the athlete is still a millionaire. Most high school athletes will not be given a full scholarship to a major university, but the best will be. If a high school student feels that he or she is just a few pills away from making the cut, their livers, hearts and brains take second seat to that success.  Most adults readily agree that students know more about the internet than they do. It is on the internet where students learn that their “success” can be guaranteed by these special pills. It is possible to find steroids for sale and plethora of “natural” steroids sold as dietary supplements which keeps them under the FDA radar. Everyone of these web sites offers “proof” of the effectiveness of their product. While there are just as many sites that provide warnings, adolescent minds to exclude such information and accept the info-mercial as factual. Also alarming about many of these sites is the promotion of test defeating substances. The same site presents facts about how easy it is to become stronger, faster, etc.; then offers the product in their report for sale and finishes the deal with a “proven” way to not get caught. What’s a kid to do? Click on the ORDER NOW button and get started. Testing is another problem. Most tests rely on urine samples. They do not look for the steroid but antigens the body produces in response to the steroid. Many of these antigens result from multiple types of steroids or steroid like substances, some of which the body produces naturally. The very nature of the steroid is that it is fast acting. This means that most of it is completely processed very quickly with nothing left behind to detect. Blood testing is more accurate but the time factor is still a matter of hours. Plus, there are inherent health and legal issues involved in blood testing, not to mention the added expense. In a recent scientific review, a firm based in Dresden, Germany announced that they can now differentiate between types of steroids found in the body. It requires a Mass Spectrometer, which in layman’s term equates to a long time and lots of money. Concerned parents, coaches and school districts do have either of these commodities. Keys to Safer Schools.com is constantly searching and contacting Scientific manufacturers to find simple, inexpensive drug testers to detect anabolic steroids similar to the other drug testers available through the web site. As soon as one is developed, it will be made available on the Keys product pages. Until then, what can be done? Parents, coaches and teachers must educate their students about the dangers of anabolic steroids. Let them know that winning outside the rules is not winning at all. Do not idolize sports figures once their use of steroids becomes known. This includes excusing their actions to focus on their accomplishments. Find every day examples to bring this point home. Such as, our family car will run much faster if we use 125 octane aviation gas rather then the 87 octane available at the pump. However, it will soon burn out the exhaust system, put more pollution in air and eventually destroy the engine.             Below is a list of some of the the worst dangers of steroids and its' side effects: Elevations in triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins, with a corresponding decrease in high-density fractions (HDL) Acne Testicle shrinkage Prostate irritability or hypertrophy Fat deposition in the breast of the male Clitoral growth and sensitivity increase in the female Male pattern baldness in both sexes Increased body hair in females Deepening of the voice in females Immediate libido increase followed by a gradual loss of libido in males Lower sperm counts and motility/viability in males Disturbed electrolytes Loss or gain in appetite Headaches and anxiety Increase in blood pressure and heightened aggression Jaundice Bloody liver cysts called peliosis hepatitis Elevations in enzyme makers for liver (SGPT,SGOT) and kidney stress (BUN and creatinine) Protein in the urine Possible promotion of existing pre-cancerous cells. Watch your student’s performance and growth rates. It is normal for youngsters to become preoccupied with a sport or athletic event. But if this preoccupation begins to turn toward an obsession and is coupled with sudden improvement in strength or ability, be suspicious. Should you find him or her growing out their clothes faster than normal or becoming more aggressive these may also be signs of steroid use. As with all adolescent drug use, learn to talk to them. Avoid lecturing or condemning. See to it that teens receive factual information about these drugs. Be honest about positive effects, that is, some drugs make you feel better and steroids will cause you muscles to grow. If you are not honest about the benefits, teens will not believe you about the downside. Finally, arm yourself with the best information possible through resources such as Keys to Safer Schools.com. To learn more, visit the Keys to Safer Schools.com web site, email or call. Reported By: Keys To Safer Schools.com If you have any comments or questions please Email us at keys@keystosaferschools.com.