The DEA is warning how easy it is for teens and young adults to buy illegal steroids from sites like YouTube, Facebook and even Instagram.
Having a drug dealer at the tip of your fingers.
Dante Sorianello of the DEA said, “Sure! They are out there, and we aggressively have units that pay attention to those type of steroids, they are dangerous.”
After some simple searches for steroids, we found a number of YouTube videos that showed either who to call to buy steroids, complete with a Whatsapp contact number, or how to use them, while Facebook is known to have programs devoted to policing other social ills such as cocaine, or heroin use, the selling of illegal steroids has been able to stay off their radar.
“As well as the fact is, there is a lot of boot leg , backyard steroids. Some of the stuff, instead of it being sold as steroids is not anything, it is just fake stuff, someone just put together just to make any money. Or somebody is taken a true load or amount of steroids and diluted it with who knows what substances, just to make there certain quantity be doubled or tripled in size,” said Dante Sorianello of the DEA.
Without a doctor’s prescription for a medical condition, the DEA says it’s against the law to possess, sell or distribute steroids.
“There is a place for steroids in a medical care, but using a controlled item, like if a steroid hasn’t been prescribed to you, you shouldn’t do it, besides there’s a ton of side effects that has been put out there,” said Dante Sorianello of the DEA.
This is especially problematic because these drugs cause major health problems and are being touted alongside the fitness models and athletes popular among teenagers.
The DEA warns these are fake drugs from the black market.
Dante Sorianello of the DEA said, “So now, like anything else, its been tampered with, and you probably shouldn’t be using to begin with, now who knows what the dilutant is that is got into it and what adverse effects that can have on you besides the steroids that was prescribed to you.”
Research shows people who use them are now turning to steroids simply to improve their appearance, not to excel at sports specially problematic because these drugs cause major health problems
Dante Sorianello of the DEA said, “But there are a lot of side effects to these things that if they aren’t prescribed to they can do internal organs, so yeah, be very careful.”