Become an educated resource and
advocate for your child and student.

"85% of American young people have never had a parent, coach or teacher talk with them about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs."
Proctor and Gamble survey, 2008

Taylor Hooton was a 16 year old, 6’2”, 180 pound kid who was a normal high school student. He was very popular and had many friends, he was an honor student who was making plans to go to college, he had involved parents, he was a Christian and attended church regularly, and he had a girlfriend. But he also was an athlete with a big secret - he was injecting himself with anabolic steroids. Taylor wanted to compete on the baseball team his senior year had been told by a coach that he “needed to get bigger” in order to reach his goal. So he decided to take a short cut. After all, fully half of the other guys on the team were already doing it.

Taylor knew little about anabolic steroids other than that they would make him bigger and stronger. He certainly knew nothing of their dangerous side effects. And, they did make him bigger – he put on almost 30 pounds of lean muscle in about 90 days. But, after using these drugs for several months, he descended into a deep depression and on a summer day in 2003, Taylor took his own life.

It would be bad enough, sad enough, if Taylor were alone. But Taylor’s story is tragically all too commonplace. The use of anabolic steroids and other appearance and performance enhancing drugs by our nation’s youth has reached near epidemic proportions. This behavior was initially driven by young peoples’ belief that these drugs will help them perform better on the athletic field, just like many of their role models. But the problem quickly morphed into something else – the kids, including our little girls, started to take these drugs to look better, to help them become “mirror athletes”.

Everyone was shocked - Taylor Hooton’s parents, friends, teachers, and neighbors - that this young man was using drugs. They had no idea that he was part of a brand new culture of drug abuse and that so many of his friends were regularly injecting themselves with hardcore anabolic steroids. Taylor’s parents decided to speak out in hopes of letting other parents know about what they perceived as a “local epidemic”.  Little did the Hootons know that they had walked into an information vacuum which extended way beyond the Dallas Metroplex. It was everywhere. Thus began the creation of the Taylor Hooton Foundation and its national effort to raise awareness and educate the public on the dangers of anabolic steroids and other appearance and performance enhancing drugs.

As parents, educators, and coaches, the Taylor Hooton Foundation encourages you to become educated about anabolic steroids and other appearance and performance enhancing drugs so you can be a resource and advocate for your child and student. Identifying at-risk kids is our adult responsibility which we must take very seriously. It really is a life and death issue.

Talk to Kids About Steroids

One of the first things adults should do is realize there is a possibility your child/student could be using APEDs (or other illegal drugs) and come to grips with how you are going to deal with this.  Denial and wishful thinking can quickly lead you down the path to destruction. 

Reassure your teen of your love and support — even when your child doesn't perform well in competitive sports. 

• Be clear about your expectations as a parent. Tell your teen that unless the long-term effects of APEDs on young athletes are known to be safe, you expect him or her to avoid them. Set rules. For example, if your son or daughter uses APEDs, he or she has to quit the team. Teach your teen that short-term gains can lead to long-term problems.
• Discuss ethics and proper training. Athletes should compete fairly. Remind your son or daughter that using APEDs is cheating, but even more importantly, could lead to serious health problems or even death. Another key message is that a balanced diet and rigorous training are the true keys to athletic performance. Encourage your teen to feel good about his or her sports performance.
• Talk with your teenager's coach. Let the coach know you've talked with your teen and that you don't approve of APEDs. Ask the coach about the school's position on APEDs. Encourage the coach to implement a zero tolerance policy against APEDs use and to speak REGULARLY with the team about why he/she won't tolerate their use.  Another option is to contact the athletic director of your local school district.
• Monitor your teen's purchases. Take a close look at the over-the-counter supplements that your teenager takes. Check closely to see what the ingredients are., but remember that these supplements are not regulated, so "buyer beware". 
• Your first step is to identify the signs that indicate that your child may be abusing steroids.  Check out the signs to look for in the FAQ section of this web site.
   

"Teens don't need to resort to drugs to enhance their bodies and athleticism.  With good nutrition, weightlifting and training, they will naturally develop.  So, we need to tell them, 'You can get bigger, stronger and faster without drugs.'"
Diane Eliot, M.D., Oregon Health and Science Univ.

What to do Next

Start by trying to understand the basic needs of your child, their interests and concerns.  Every child wants to be accepted and is very susceptible to peer pressure, wanting to look their best and to get noticed, so stay connected and informed about your child.  Things haven’t changed that much with respect to social interaction. 

What has changed is that kids can now get their hands on drugs and with much easier access.  Steroids are easily obtainable.  With the Internet, your kids are exposed to every easily expose to every market and consumer good on the planet.  Having only minimal resources, a kid can discover, research, and even order steroids online within days of having them in hand.  For an extra $50-75, they can even order a prescription to go along with their purchase.

Also, steroids are easily available at virtually EVERY public gym in this country.  Everyone reading this should pause to visualize the last gym you were in.  Ever notice the "big" guys working out with the free weights in the back of the building?  You can just assume that steroids can be purchased from these guys.  Taylor met his dealer while working out at the local YMCA! 

In today’s world, steroids are the ultimate esteem builder.  They are readily available to teenagers and young adults who are willing to look past all of the side effects because they will gain a short-term fulfillment.  In many cases, your child is totally unaware of these potentially dangerous side effects.  You must be prepared to confront your child and seek the truth as soon as you suspect that your child is using steroids. 

Physical appearance is a huge influence in our society today.  From muscle magazines, to TV and movies, great physique is highly craved, and commonly praised over all over virtues and values.  Steroid abuse is on the rise even though people are beginning to see the real truth in the news daily.  Promote your child’s self-esteem as early or as often as possible.  Encourage a health lifestyle and be an active participant in it.  Most importantly, establish a healthy body image for your child by using positive words that ensure confidence and laying down a solid healthy foundation for them to follow.

What to do Now

You have determined that your child may be using steroids, so where do you go from here?  There are no easy answers.

Serious Steroid Abuse

If you are realistic about the situation and are able to obtain a urine sample from your child, then you should do it.  Understand, your trust and communication with your child could be potentially damaged, but this is probably the easiest way to determine the truth.  Your child’s safety is at hand so intervention is important.  It is no longer about how much you are a friend to your child or how popular you are, but about your child’s safety. 

The next step is to talk to your child about the abuse of steroids and the risk they are taking.  Take them to the doctor to get urine results if you can’t get them yourself.  Talk to your physician ahead of time to insure that they are familiar with the affects of anabolic steroids (many are not familiar with this subject).  Have the urine sample tested by a qualified laboratory.  BE SURE TO TELL THE DOCTOR THAT YOU WANT THE SAMPLE TESTED FOR ANABOLIC STEROIDS - STEROID TESTING IS NOT PART OF A STANDARD DRUG PANEL.

Haveyour doctor discuss case studies involving steroids and teens.  By talking openly with your family physician, they will be upfront in telling your teen how badly the drugs could damage their body.  The doctor can also give your child possible alternative and healthier suggestions instead of using steroids like proper nutrition and strength training or exercise ideas. 

The need to overcome perceived shortcomings is very powerful. At first, your child may not hear a word of what you are saying, but keep trying to communicate openly with them. You are as much of an influence on his or her life as any muscle magazine, TV show, or gym trainer. You can be the person that makes the biggest difference in your adolescent’s life. When your child doesn’t make wise decisions about their health, it is your responsibility as a parent to step in and make those decisions for them!