BIDEN AND HATCH SEEK TO BAN DESIGNER STEROIDS
Bipartisan Bill Would Make Androstenedione and THG Schedule III Substances
Friday, October 24, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- Late last night U.S. Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Orrin
Hatch (R-UT) introduced The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003, which will
add androstenedione (also known as "andro"
, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), and
other steroid precursors to the list of anabolic steroids that are
classified as Schedule III controlled substances. Senators Charles Grassley
(R-IA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) are co-sponsors of the bill.
Steroid precursors, or "pro-steroids," are chemically related to the
substances scheduled in the 1990 Controlled Substances Act that made
trafficking in steroids illegal. When ingested, these substances metabolize
into testosterone or other illicit steroids. The United States Anti-Doping
Agency, the group in charge of testing Olympic athletes for performance
enhancing drugs, has called these products "the functional equivalent of
steroids." Many physicians, parents and coaches have called for action
against these dangerous products.
"Products like andro and other pro-steroids are marketed to kids and young
athletes as an effective way to increase muscle mass. However, I have
serious concerns about the safety of these substances," said Biden. "The
manufactures of these products are violating the spirit of the Controlled
Substances Act and putting young people at risk." "I have been extremely
frustrated by the lack of regulatory action on these performance-enhancing
products," Hatch said. "For years, I have asked the FDA to explain how these
dangerous products could be marketed freely to our teens, but I've never
received an adequate response. Our hand has been forced - we must act to
ensure no more young athletes are placed at risk."
A 2001 survey conducted by Blue Cross Blue Shield's Healthy Competition
Foundation indicated that approximately one million kids nationwide have
used performance enhancing products. Many of these kids are unaware of the
adverse effects these substances can have on their bodies. In addition to
stunting growth, pro-steroid use can lead to a wide range of side effects -
everything from increased blood pressure and elevated risk of heart attack
to significant changes to sexual organs. As a result, andro and other
steroid precursors have been banned by the International Olympic Committee,
the National Football League, and the National Collegiate Athletics
Association.
"It is time we started being honest and calling andro and other steroid
precursors what they really are: drugs. Performance enhancing drugs. They
should be labeled as such. They should be treated as such and they should be
controlled in the same manner as other anabolic steroids," concluded Biden.
"Our major sports organizations are banning pro-steroids because they know
what our kids don't: that these substances carry serious risks," Hatch
added. "The federal government must take action. This bill will give our
regulatory agencies the precise tools necessary to ensure that consumers
have the choice of safe, health-enhancing products without these potentially
dangerous side-effects."
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003 has four main components that will
help protect young people from the dangers of pro-steroid abuse: First, it
amends the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 by adding substances such as
andro, THG, and their chemical cousins to the list of anabolic steroids
controlled under the Controlled Substances Act and makes it easier for the
DEA to add similar substances to that list in the future.
Second, it directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review the Federal
sentencing guidelines for crimes involving anabolic steroids and consider
increasing them. Currently, the maximum sentence for offenses involving
anabolic steroids is only 33 - 41 months for first time offenders. And to
receive the maximum sentence an offender would have to have between 40,000
and 60,000 units, which is defined as a 10 cc vial or 50 tablets.
Third, the bill authorizes $15 million for the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to award grants to public and non-profit entities to carry out
science-based education programs in elementary and secondary schools to
highlight the harmful effects of anabolic steroids.
Finally, the bill provides $1 million to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to include questions about steroid use in the National Survey on
Drug Use and Health, an annual survey to measure the extent of alcohol, drug
and tobacco use in the United States.
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003 is strongly supported by a broad
cross-section of the medical and sports communities. Organizations who have
endorsed the bill include: The American Academy of Pediatrics, American
Medical Association, Association of Tennis Professionals, Boys and Girls
Clubs, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Council for
Responsible Nutrition, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Consumer
Healthcare Products Association, Major League Baseball, The National
Athletic Trainers Association, The National Collegiate Athletic Association,
The National Football League, The National High School Athletic Coaches
Association, National Nutritional Foods Association, American Herbal
Products Association, United States Anti-Doping Agency, U.S. Olympic
Committee, U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Cycling, USA Swimming, USA Track and
Field, and The Utah Natural Products Alliance.
Bipartisan Bill Would Make Androstenedione and THG Schedule III Substances
Friday, October 24, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- Late last night U.S. Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Orrin
Hatch (R-UT) introduced The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003, which will
add androstenedione (also known as "andro"

other steroid precursors to the list of anabolic steroids that are
classified as Schedule III controlled substances. Senators Charles Grassley
(R-IA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) are co-sponsors of the bill.
Steroid precursors, or "pro-steroids," are chemically related to the
substances scheduled in the 1990 Controlled Substances Act that made
trafficking in steroids illegal. When ingested, these substances metabolize
into testosterone or other illicit steroids. The United States Anti-Doping
Agency, the group in charge of testing Olympic athletes for performance
enhancing drugs, has called these products "the functional equivalent of
steroids." Many physicians, parents and coaches have called for action
against these dangerous products.
"Products like andro and other pro-steroids are marketed to kids and young
athletes as an effective way to increase muscle mass. However, I have
serious concerns about the safety of these substances," said Biden. "The
manufactures of these products are violating the spirit of the Controlled
Substances Act and putting young people at risk." "I have been extremely
frustrated by the lack of regulatory action on these performance-enhancing
products," Hatch said. "For years, I have asked the FDA to explain how these
dangerous products could be marketed freely to our teens, but I've never
received an adequate response. Our hand has been forced - we must act to
ensure no more young athletes are placed at risk."
A 2001 survey conducted by Blue Cross Blue Shield's Healthy Competition
Foundation indicated that approximately one million kids nationwide have
used performance enhancing products. Many of these kids are unaware of the
adverse effects these substances can have on their bodies. In addition to
stunting growth, pro-steroid use can lead to a wide range of side effects -
everything from increased blood pressure and elevated risk of heart attack
to significant changes to sexual organs. As a result, andro and other
steroid precursors have been banned by the International Olympic Committee,
the National Football League, and the National Collegiate Athletics
Association.
"It is time we started being honest and calling andro and other steroid
precursors what they really are: drugs. Performance enhancing drugs. They
should be labeled as such. They should be treated as such and they should be
controlled in the same manner as other anabolic steroids," concluded Biden.
"Our major sports organizations are banning pro-steroids because they know
what our kids don't: that these substances carry serious risks," Hatch
added. "The federal government must take action. This bill will give our
regulatory agencies the precise tools necessary to ensure that consumers
have the choice of safe, health-enhancing products without these potentially
dangerous side-effects."
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003 has four main components that will
help protect young people from the dangers of pro-steroid abuse: First, it
amends the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 by adding substances such as
andro, THG, and their chemical cousins to the list of anabolic steroids
controlled under the Controlled Substances Act and makes it easier for the
DEA to add similar substances to that list in the future.
Second, it directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review the Federal
sentencing guidelines for crimes involving anabolic steroids and consider
increasing them. Currently, the maximum sentence for offenses involving
anabolic steroids is only 33 - 41 months for first time offenders. And to
receive the maximum sentence an offender would have to have between 40,000
and 60,000 units, which is defined as a 10 cc vial or 50 tablets.
Third, the bill authorizes $15 million for the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to award grants to public and non-profit entities to carry out
science-based education programs in elementary and secondary schools to
highlight the harmful effects of anabolic steroids.
Finally, the bill provides $1 million to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to include questions about steroid use in the National Survey on
Drug Use and Health, an annual survey to measure the extent of alcohol, drug
and tobacco use in the United States.
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003 is strongly supported by a broad
cross-section of the medical and sports communities. Organizations who have
endorsed the bill include: The American Academy of Pediatrics, American
Medical Association, Association of Tennis Professionals, Boys and Girls
Clubs, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Council for
Responsible Nutrition, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Consumer
Healthcare Products Association, Major League Baseball, The National
Athletic Trainers Association, The National Collegiate Athletic Association,
The National Football League, The National High School Athletic Coaches
Association, National Nutritional Foods Association, American Herbal
Products Association, United States Anti-Doping Agency, U.S. Olympic
Committee, U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Cycling, USA Swimming, USA Track and
Field, and The Utah Natural Products Alliance.