Cracking Down on Illegal Steroid Use Easier
Said Than Done
A recent report by the US General Accounting Office
reveals that investigators easily obtained anabolic
steroids without a prescription through the Internet.
After conducting Internet searches, they found
hundreds of Web sites offering anabolic steroids
commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders for
sale.The investigators then used an e-mail account
in a fictitious name to place 22 orders. From
these orders, they received 10 shipments of anabolic
steroids; all were shipped from foreign countries.
They also received 4 shipments from within the
United States but the substances they contained,
though marketed as anabolic steroids or other
"muscle building" products, were not
anabolic steroids according to the Food and Drug
Administration.As a result of the investigation,
they are referring the evidence concerning the
purchases to the Drug Enforcement Administration
and to FDA for appropriate action. The officials
claim that most anabolic steroids sold illegally
in the United States come from abroad, and that
the Internet is the most widely used means of
buying and selling anabolic steroids illegally.
They also reported that, because of the foreign
origin of the steroids and the widespread use
of the Internet in steroid trafficking, extensive
time and resources are usually required to investigate
and prosecute steroid cases. The sheer volume
of all types of imports from abroad presents significant
challenges in efforts to prevent anabolic steroids
from illegally entering the United States. In
addition, some officials noted the relatively
low sentences that result from application of
the federal sentencing guidelines to persons convicted
of illegal steroid trafficking.Computers aid steroid
distributors in avoiding detection by law enforcement,
and penalties are much lighter than for those
caught with many other illegal drugs, according
to the GAO report.Steroids build muscle but can
lead to heart attacks, strokes, cancer, sterility
and mood swings. The use of most steroids without
a doctor's prescription has been illegal since
1991.
Accusations of steroid use among Major League
Baseball players ignited congressional and media
scrutiny.The GAO report found there are hundreds
of websites offering anabolic steroids. The anonymity
of the Internet makes dealers difficult to find.
"Internet sites can be installed, moved,
or removed easily and quickly, making it difficult
for law enforcement agencies to identify, track,
monitor, or shut them down," the report said.
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