This is a MUST READ article by every visitor to this site.  Please take 5 minutes and read this current article.

Don

THEY offer a quick fix for young men craving the muscle-bound body of a movie or sporting hero.

But as well as boosting muscle, anabolic steroids can wreak more sinister havoc with both mind and body.

They cause severe mood swings, depression and chronic physical illness - even

 DEATH.

And steroids have recently been linked to some brutal crimes that shocked the nation - including crazed gunman Raoul Moat's murderous rampage.

Tragedy ... Moat shootings reported in Sun

Moat, 37, shot and seriously injured his ex-girlfriend, fatally blasted her new lover and shot and blinded a policeman in a two-day spree earlier this month in Northumbria.

The ex-doorman with a record of violent outbursts was a known steroid user and "roid rage" is believed to have helped fuel his attacks.

Yesterday The Sun also reported how steroid user Jonathan Vass had been held on suspicion of murdering his ex-girlfriend, nurse Jane Clough.

Ex-doorman Vass, 26, was last night still being quizzed over the murder of 26-year-old Jane, whose throat was cut as she walked to her car after a shift at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on Sunday night.

It also emerged he had been charged with raping Jane nine times, although he was freed on conditional bail despite objections from police.

Anabolic steroids are a Class C drug, which users inject or take as tablets, but are illegal to own and use unless with a medical prescription.

They make the body over-produce testosterone, so increasing muscle size and strength in a matter of weeks.

For many young men they are seen as the only way to achieve the same body as their sporting or screen idols.

Schools

The 2009-10 British Crime Survey estimates 226,000 people in the UK have used steroids. But experts warn these official figures are too low.

Dr Ken Checinski, consultant psychologist for drugs information charity FRANK, says: "I do a lot of work with needle-exchange services, run by Addaction, the UK's biggest drug-treatment charity, and half of the needles now requested are steroid packs - which is a huge increase.

"It used to be mostly needles used for injection of drugs like heroin.

"Steroids definitely make people who are already prone to mood issues worse, and can make a placid person irritable, depressed and violent in extreme cases.

"Even when used for legitimate medical reasons they cause what is known as Mood Disorder, which can be depression or anger."

Enlarge

The facts ... about common steroids

Roy Jones, of drugs charity Turning Point, agrees that needle-exchange programmes in the UK are flooded with steroid users, often more than by heroin addicts.

He says: "We're seeing more and more people come in with steroid use - from all walks of life, including doctors and lawyers."

Worryingly, he adds: "Their average age used to be around 34 but now a lot of users are in their late teens or early twenties.

"We also have a young people's service that goes into schools, and kids around the age of 12 are aware of these drugs. A colleague of mine came across a child of 12 who wanted to take steroids."

Steroid expert Dr Jim McVeigh, at Liverpool John Moores University, adds: "We're now seeing a much higher proportion of people turning to anabolic steroids as a quick fix. They take them too lightly. The number of users is definitely greater than stated in the official statistics."

Please read the rest of the article which can be found at:  http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3071634/The-dangers-to-mind-and-body-of-taking-steroids.html 

Over time, we have chronicled a number of cases, including Taylor's, where steroids were involved in the death of human beings.  Sometimes it's from depression.  Other times it's from aggression ('roid rage).

Here is one more of those stories to add to the growing pile.

Don

By RICHARD MORIARTY

Published: Today

THE bodybuilder held over the murder of his ex-girlfriend in a hospital car park became "bigger and angrier" after getting hooked on steroids, pals revealed last night.

Jonathan Vass, 30 - a 17st ex-bouncer known as Jonny - was last night still being quizzed by police probing the murder of nurse Jane Clough, 26.

A pal spoke out to warn about the dangers of steroid abuse. He said: "All his friends were concerned, his behaviour became a real worry.

"He was building up and building up with the steroids. His mind has been completely altered. As he's got bigger, he's got more and more angry.

"He was taking steroids and other drugs including speed on nights out.

"His eyes were all over the place, he was permanently on edge and would make others jittery.

"It's not the Jonny we knew. He's got more and more weird. Steroids have turned him into a completely different person."

Jane's throat was cut as she walked to her car on Sunday night after finishing her shift at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

She and paramedic Vass split last December, when he was charged with repeatedly raping and assaulting Jane, of Barrowford, Lancs.

Parents John and Penny last night paid tribute to Jane, saying: "Jane was our beautiful precious daughter, loving mother of her baby Imogen and loving sister of Peter and Louise.

"She was a fabulous girl in every sense, she was so gentle and lovely and we are absolutely heartbroken."

The couple also praised police and thanked Jane's colleagues for their support.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3071647/Jane-Clough-suspect-Jonathan-Vass-rage-on-steroids.html

And you all thought it was just the guys in professional wrestling that are using steroids!

Don

In an interview with The Connecticut Post, former WWE and ECW diva Dawn Marie made revealed that she used steroids. The article which digs into Vince MacMahon and his wife's pursuit of a Senate seat, WWE's drug testing policy, and other WWE related issues. Here is a quote from the article.

"Did Vince tell me to take that shortcut? No. Did WWE? No. Why did I do it? Because I thought that's what I needed to do in order to keep up... There was not testing policy."

Marie speculates that the current roster in WWE does not appear to be using steroids and she feels the current testing policy is also stopping wrestlers from abusing painkillers. You can read the entire article at this link.

Dawn Marie has supposedly been helping out many former wrestlers with her  Wrestler's Rescue charity.

The charity has been under investigation for not actually getting any health funding to former wrestlers who are need of care. You can read more about that in this blog from the Bleachereport.

http://www.examiner.com/x-43640-Pro-Wrestling-Examiner~y2010m7d26-Former-WWE-diva-admits-to-using-steroids
 

Being associated with steroids is not something to brag about, at least not publicly.  I receive a lot of hate mail, but almost 100% of it is signed "anonymous".   While many take strong positions behind the scenes, few have the courage to defend their positions in the public square. 

Steroids have been "known" to be prevalent in the pro wrestling community for years.  Now, one of the titans of that world is running for Senate in Connecticut - Linda McMahon.  Many believe that to a large degree, her business was built on the back of anabolic steroids.  This has forced her (reluctantly) to talk about this topic.

I am pleased to say that some reporters continue to keep this topic on the table and are holding her (and her husband) to account for her allegations that steroids are really not proven to be dangerous!  Ha!  Also, Mrs. McMahon tends to brush over the little detail that they are illegal (a felony in most jurisdictions).

Don

 

Steroid issue not going away

 

Ct Post, Published: 04:13 p.m., Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The McMahons would probably prefer to stop talking about steroids. Until they stop making questionable statements that downplay the issue's significance, that will be impossible.

Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and current U.S. Senate candidate, was asked last month about steroids by BusinessWeek magazine. She said: "I still don't think we know the long-term effects of steroids. They are continuing to study it more and more, but I don't believe there are a lot of studies out there today that are conclusive."

A spokesman quickly softened the statement, reiterating the candidate's stance against illegal drugs. That could have been the end of it, but then came this statement from McMahon's husband, Vince, in a Hearst Connecticut Newspapers profile this past weekend: "I don't know there's really been any great research you can point to that definitely says this is deleterious to your health or in some cases it helps you or whatever. ... So I don't think there's enough empirical research done, certainly not by the government."

That would come as news to anyone who has studied the issue. Research has shown heightened risk from steroid abuse of high blood pressure and heart disease. They can cause liver damage. Studies have also shown psychiatric effects, including heightened tendency toward aggression and violence.

McMahon would very much like to put this issue to rest, but only an honest assessment of illegal drugs and their c

ontribution to her family's business success will allow that.

Continuing to muddy the issue with half-truths and outright falsehoods only serves to keep steroids in the spotlight.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, there is growing concern among many in the medical community about the affect that anabolic steroids can have on the kidneys (see previous posts).

I received a note from a concerned parent today that I believe is worth sharing with you all.

Don

I have a story to tell about Steriods. Not only is Steriod use highly addictive but it affects any children you might have in the future. I have a daughter that has just had major kidney surgury and the reason why? Is that her dad was a bodybuilder that used steriods.

Anyone that has used steriods and fathered a child should have that child under a detailed scan of his or her kidneys to check at an early stage to see if there is any defects. As the damage caused from steriod use, has not been fully investigated but more and more generations of steriod users are having children that have malformed kidneys.

If your child has a constant infection and no reason can be found for it, insist on an indepth scan. My daughter nearly dead because I did not know that a furter investigation was required. I did have second and third opinions but never was it suggested that she should have a scan, until it was almost too late.

If you are a steriod user, reach out for help and keep on reaching out until you get help.