Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids can be swallowed in tablet form or taken as a liquid injection.

Sports enthusiasts claim steroids make them able to train harder and can help build muscle mass. However, the drug can also make users feel more aggressive and sometimes causes negative physical side effects like acne and shrunken testicles.

Steroids can also cause paranoia, irritability, aggression and, in some cases, violent behaviour and dramatic mood-swings.

Short term:

Taking steroids can mean normally calm people can become aggressive or even violent. If you’re young, anabolic steroids can affect the natural development of the body. If you’re male, you can get erection problems, grow breasts, become sterile and develop acne. They can also make your testicles shrink. If you’re female, you can get extra facial hair, a deep voice, shrinking breasts and an increased risk of menstrual problems. Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. Dirty or shared needles and other injecting works can also help the spread of HIV and hepatitis.

Long term:

Long-term usage can lead to paranoia, confusion and sleep problems. You could also experience dramatic mood swings and suffer long-term depression. Steroid use can lead to increased blood pressure and increases the likelihood of liver failure, stroke or a heart attack.

Anabolic steroids are Class C drugs to be sold or supplied only by pharmacists with a doctor’s prescription.

It’s legal to possess or import steroids as long as they’re in the form of a medicinal product for personal use. The dispensed drug will be labelled in a standard way in the UK, to indicate who it was prescribed to, instructions for use, etc.

But possession or importing with intent to supply (which includes giving them to friends) is illegal and could lead to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.