Parents:  WAKE UP! Even our pre-high school students are interested in exploring the use of anabolic steroids.  Here is a real question from a real 13 year old kid in Kansas City about this subject. Don

Ask us: Are steroids addictive?

TeenGrowth.com

Q: I’m a 13 year-old boy and I have just started to lift weights, but I really want to get steroids. I would only use a little bit at a time until I was happy with myself. Are steroids addictive and how much do they cost?

A: Although steroids are not physically addictive, they are especially dangerous at your age, and we advise against any use. First of all, at age 13 you may not have finished growing, and taking steroids can disrupt your pubertal development.Q: I’m a 13 year-old boy and I have just started to lift weights, but I really want to get steroids. I would only use a little bit at a time until I was happy with myself. Are steroids addictive and how much do they cost?

Second, anabolic steroids can adversely affect every organ system in your body while actually increasing your risk of injury. These drugs increase aggressive behavior, worsen acne, and cause hair loss, heart problems, inflammation of the liver, gynecomastia (growth of breast tissue) and shrinking testicles. Also, when taken by injection, anabolic steroids have been associated with transmission of hepatitis B and C as well as HIV infection. Finally, the desired effects of “bulking up” don’t last without continued steroid use.

You will be most “happy with yourself” if you achieve your fitness goals naturally, with a healthy diet and a supervised exercise program, including weight training and aerobic activity to strengthen your heart and lungs. http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/15/2084832/ask-us-are-steroids-addictive.html