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HOW STEROID USERS OBTAIN OR BUY STEROIDS

Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) users obtain these drugs in a variety of different ways which primarily include buying them from sources at local gyms and schools, purchasing them via the internet, and even acquiring fraudulent prescriptions from licensed medical facilities. Believe it or not, AAS aren’t always sought by their potential buyers; often the reverse is true as these drugs find their way into the paths of unwitting users-to-be. This section will expand on these topics in an effort to shed greater light on this issue, and hopefully enlightening readers as to how steroids are so easily, yet unlawfully acquired. The following is a small informational component of a larger educational website designed to raise awareness. More specifically, it is NOT intended to help readers learn how to obtain AAS, but rather to equip them with the truth about the HOWs & WHEREs behind finding and acquiring anabolic steroids.

Health & Fitness Clubs

Generally speaking people go to health clubs to train, during which they primarily participate in resistance work (weight training), cardio work (aerobic activity), or a combination of the two. Although their reasons for turning to fitness vary often ranging from medical necessity (doctor’s orders) through exercise for general health maintenance, to aesthetics (the desire to look better physically), but they all endeavor to battle the bulge by developing lean quality muscle. Coincidentally, each of these goals are best supported, influenced and improved upon by the knowledgeable well -executed use of anabolic steroids. Of course popular societal belief asserts that competitive athletes & bodybuilders hold a near monopoly on AAS usage, but current estimates indicate there are as many as three million steroid users in the United States.[5] Surveys in the American field reveal that use among community gyms and health clubs are within the conservatively estimated range of 15% - 30%.[4] Further results from the UK show the majority of steroid users are recreational bodybuilders (non-athletes and non-competitors) who take these drugs for cosmetic purposes, i.e. the desire to become more attractive.[1] As illustrated by these statistics, there are far more steroid users in polite society than the public has been lead to believe, many of whom attend local gyms and health clubs. Therefore, it is not only reasonable but also correct to conclude that the presence of steroid users (supply and/or access to supply), in the midst of desiring potential users (demand) would logically fulfill both sides of business’s basic microeconomic principles of supply & demand, i.e. an ideal business opportunity.

Most often steroid users come to realize the profit potential of buying in bulk and reselling the surplus AAS to fellow gym members, thereby becoming middleman suppliers. Although this permits the traditional gym guy to purchase steroids, the middleman’s markup is usually substantial making this one of the least popular ways to obtain AAS. However, there will always be a market for this type of transaction because of its great ease and reduced risk. Even when steroid users aren’t reselling, assuming conditions are right, they often serve as bridges connecting the buyers (need) to the sellers (source). So what exactly are these “assumed conditions” and what makes them ripe for steroid transactions and/or the sharing of sources?

Over the past several decades health clubs have evolved into more than merely places to workout. As any regular gym attendee can attest, these facilities also service modern day socialization needs. Since people are inherently creatures of habit, those who train regularly tend to follow a routine which includes standard gym attendance days (typically structured around life & personal demands), while adhering to very specific times on these scheduled days. The combination of these two characteristics has the effect of routinely bringing together certain groups of people with near clockwork precision. Over time continual facial recognition gives way to non-verbal communication (waves and gestures), followed by verbal greetings and acknowledgments, which eventually lead to introductions, conversations, and in many cases click-like friend-/relationships. There are other positive benefits to be gained from this phenomenon including ‘Drive’, in which group members begin to hold each other accountable for training. For example, one member will ask another (who’s been slacking) about his recent absenteeism, thereby reinforcing not only the latter’s focus and desire to sustain regular training, but his need for maintaining interpersonal contacts as well. Additionally, this environment doubles as a dating scene. Similar to schools, churches and other communally social gathering places where commonality and regularity foster romantic relationships, so too does the gym. It also does this in greater fashion (some pun intended) as gym clothing and activity permits members to better display there physical forms and fitness prowess.

So what do all these socialization nuances have to do with obtaining steroids? Good question! Illustrating this phenomenon, demonstrates the heightened sense of comfort & trust necessary for the covert pursuit illegal activities, like the changing hands of AAS. It also affords those interested in pedaling unsolicited steroids the luxury to do so within semi-safe surroundings. Just knowing that Jim shares pointers on dieting, spots members during heavy bench pressing sessions, and always greets with a handshake makes it easier to accept that he also uses and dispenses illicit substances. Many sociable gym members who weren’t even seeking AAS often have them presented to or ‘pushed’ (to use common drug seller terminology) upon them because the atmosphere is so friendly. “Ever think about adding steroids to your routine? No. Well if you do, just let me know, I’ve got a hook up. Cool!” Of course it doesn’t hurt that steroid using drug traffickers are generally walking advertisements for their products. The typically larger and imposing statures of these types of guys (and girls), readily discourages whistle blowing. It is through these and other interrelated mechanisms that gyms developed into ideal settings for the distribution of AAS.

Schools

According to the ‘Monitoring the Future Survey’ by The University of Michigan, in 2006, 2.7% of high school seniors reported they had tried steroids at least once in their lifetime.[12]  The majority of those who fall victim to teenage steroid abuse are male athletes seeking to better their performance in sports, become more competitive in the pursuit of athletic scholarships, or to gain recognition [physical/sexual attractiveness] outside of the arena.  Females as well as males have shockingly admitted trying steroids as early as age 11, and are said to most commonly do so for aesthetic purposes.

 

Similar to the health club phenomenon, schools also breed comfort and the requisite closeness for AAS sells, but here it happens on an even greater level. Traditionally, by the time school-aged children become interested in AAS they’ve already spent several years growing up together, attending each other’s birthday parties & sleepovers, playing on peewee teams, and going through several years of schooling. Pardon the pun, but this relationship is like the gym-goer one on, well, on steroids. These kids already know each other, their siblings, parents, and often even extended family members.

 

A few years ago, an NBC Action News Investigation delved into steroid use in metro high schools and college campuses. The undercover investigation showed just how easy it is for students to buy what’s referred to on the streets as “roids” or “juice.” The investigation also surveyed dozens of athletes from metro high schools. Thirty-three percent said they know someone who has at least tried steroids. An undercover source exclaimed, "Getting steroids in college and [high] school is like going to Wal-Mart. You can basically get them anywhere”. The latest survey results from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services show that even quiet suburban areas, like Johnson County , are not immune to the temptations of steroids. Out of the 9,083 Johnson County high school students who took the 2008 survey, 77 students admitted to taking steroids at least once. Although that averages out to a meager four students per high school (plus the fact that such self-reports are notoriously underrepresented), it illustrates how even the most rural sheltered communities have become infiltrated by AAS.[11]

Most reports put school steroids in the hands of athletes who sell and circulate them throughout the student body, but (like recreational gym-goers) non-athletes are just as likely to possess and dispense these drugs. Okay, so steroids are in schools, but where are these illegal locker- and classroom entrepreneurs getting their supplies? The likeliest and most convenient way for students to purchase AAS is from the comfort of their own home, via the World Wide Web.

The Internet: The New Black Market

Although gym sources still exist, today the internet serves as the primary source for obtaining AAS. The web makes these products readily available to anyone capable of logging on & arranging payment, and improves upon the gym resource by adding anonymity to the equation. The ‘Black Market’ (BM) is the illegal underground production and sells of goods and services.  Since the 2004 Anabolic Steroid Control Act placed AAS on the controlled substances list, the BM has been flooded with muscle building hormones. However, there are a significant number of hazards associated with the purchase and usage of underground drugs. The question of product integrity is always central in the minds of BM customers, “Can I purchase safe products from this source?” The virtual anonymity of internet sites owners, traditionally high provider turnover rates (here today, gone tomorrow), and significant number of recent federal steroid busts has made answering this question even harder of late.  Additionally, the BM is filled with a variety of different types of “scammers”, individuals who simply set up shop to dupe customers. There are those who launch sites only to take money with no plan or intention of delivering anything at all. Many law enforcement officials actually see these as the good guys, those who promote the once bitten syndrome scaring would-be buyers/users away from future attempts at acquiring steroids online.  At least they have the decency (used lightly) to take the money and run, unlike other types of sources who aren’t as kind. There are the supplement guys, they too pretend to market and sale valid steroids when in actuality the buyer receives little more than colorfully labeled powered vitamins and minerals with AAS names. Although they falsify claims, they don’t hurt unsuspecting buyers like some scammers do. The web is filled with repackaging scams in which very cheap steroids are placed in expensive product labeling and sold at a premium under high quality lab names. These less expensive forms of AAS produce harsher side effects, which can be not only harmful to everyone, but particularly dangerous to women who think they are minimally risking the use of very mild compounds. Still others produce completely imposter or fake steroids, which are often vials of vegetable oil labeled to look like AAS. Along the same lines are those manufactured under grossly unsanitary conditions that would make the FDA shriek with terror, and have a tendency to result in painful and/or sickening effects. All of the above hazards can lead to health problems ranging from minor infections and abscesses, to majorly severe reactions, illnesses and possibly death.

                                                

For all of its shortcomings and dangers the BM has persisted. In the legal business world economic Darwinism is king, i.e. survival of the fittest. Companies that do a poor job of providing goods and services in an open market struggle and generally fail. Such is the fate of AAS websites as news of poor performance systematically and methodically cleanses the market of most scammers. Note the use of the term “most”, because many of the more successful scammers (those who do an excellent job of marketing to a continual flow of newcomers) can lucratively survive for decades on new business alone. That’s enough of scammers.

The survival of the BM is possible because there are indeed legitimate websites that not only provide AAS, but do so efficiently. These sites boast minimal order errors, fast shipping, and a variety of different products and prices. Eventually, the “word-of-mouth” grapevine delivers, and this segment of the market benefits not only from new business but also from hoards of repeat customers. These companies go to great lengths to stay a couple of steps ahead of the Feds. They often: employ top-notch IT guys who create hard to trace and close websites; use well encrypted customer communication; deal only with secured & wire payments; route and re-route payments through international drop points and; routinely creep through customs (when internationally based) with the use multiple aliases (several company names), extensive packaging, and dummy origins. Make no mistake about it, at least with regard to AAS, the Internet is the new Black Market. So if valid sources exist, how does one locate a real AAS website? Where else, on the web! It’s been said that the internet is as much as saint as it is a sinner, providing both the good with the bad in all things. Running an online search for steroids yields a plethora of unending websites all promising the genuine article. However, the most effective way to locate authentic steroid selling sites is to connect with users who are already customers of said sites, and this is best done by becoming a member of the major steroid forum. The web boasts a bevy of high-powered, open to the public, free steroid forums that welcome hosts of new members daily. These forums provide not only all the information necessary to effectively use AAS, but after establishing oneself as a regular member which often amounts to spending time contributing & socializing (much like the aforementioned gym relationships) trust and the sharing of sought after resources are the direct results.

Medical Facilities

Steroid users with money to spare who are more interested in safely navigating the legality issues of possession and use, generally pursue the untraditional avenue of illegitimate medical prescriptions. In recent decades there’s been a significant increase in the research, and subsequent public fascination with the use of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), also know as somatotropin. This pituitary gland produced master hormone affects virtually all areas of the body -- influencing the growth of cells, bones, muscles and organs. HGH is one of many endocrine hormones like estrogen, progesterone, melatonin, DHEA, and of course testosterone, which peak during adolescence then plateaus for a while before slowly diminishing with age. There are a vast number of alleged benefits associated with taking HGH which are beyond the scope of this writing, but suffice to say they are closely related to other forms of Hormone Replacement Therapy/Testosterone Replacement Therapy (HRT/TRT) which is where this gets interesting.

Affectionately known as anti-aging clinics, and t outed as modern day fountains of youth, the popularity of HGH has spawned numerous privately owned medical facilities. These clinics claim everything from making one look and feel younger, to literally suspending the aging process. It is a commonly known FACT within the bodybuilding community, that because of the similarities between HGH therapy and HRT/TRT one can obtain AAS (legally, for all intents and purposes) from many of these clinics. This is not to say that all such clinics function in this manner, or even the majority, only that such facilities do exist and that they are readily utilized for the needs of recreational bodybuilders. So how does this work? Although they provide bodybuilder AAS and amounts they still operate and function just as any other such clinic in that potential patients call to schedule an appointment, come in, fill out medical history information sheets, and are seen for an initial consultation. This is where the scene shifts for the steroid user because now full disclosure comes into play. There’s an upfront conversation about protocol which necessarily includes the privacy policy and HGH & testosterone blood serum levels testing. Finally AAS compounds, prices, desired dosages, frequency & shipping, expected results are made available.

How does one find these places, who does he speak to, and what exactly does he ask for? Information on specific facilities is openly available to bodybuilding community, and is commonly circulated at local gyms (often in the form of a phone number and contact name), within sports locker rooms, at health food stores with extensive bodybuilder supplementation sections, and online inside public steroid forums which generally transmit such sensitive information only via the internal private mailing systems of each website. Nevertheless, the numbers of those who choose this route are, and will always be significantly lower than Black Market users because these prescription authenticated drugs come at a premium, i.e. cost substantially more. The buyer is literally paying for the security of the prescription along with the price of his supply.

REFERENCES

 

• Lister S, McGrory D. Quest for the body beautiful that can cause serious harm. The Times 3 May 2005
• Yesalis CE, Kennedy NJ, Kopstein AN, et al. Anabolic–androgenic steroid use in the United States. JAMA 1993;270:1217–21
• Baker JS, Graham M, Davies B. Steroid and prescription medicine abuse in the health and fitness community; a regional study. Eur J Inter Med 2006 (in press)
• Parkinson AB, Evans NA. Anabolic androgenic steroids: a survey of 500 users. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2006;38:644–51
• National Institute on Drug Abuse. About anabolic steroid abuse. NIDA Notes 2000;15:15
• Korkia P, Stimson GV. Anabolic Steroid Use In Great Britain: An Exploratory Investigation. London: The Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, 1993
• Evans N. Gym and tonic: a profile of 100 male steroid users. Br J Sports Med 1997;31:54–8
• Grace FM. Baker JS, Davies B. Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use in recreational gym users—a regional sample of the Mid-Glamorgan area. J Sub Use 2001;6:189–95
• Pope H, Phillips K, Olivardia R. The Adonis Complex—The Secret Crisis Of Male Body Obsession. New York: The Free Press, 2000: 11
• R &D spending. In: Integrated Promotional Services and CMR. Fairfield: IMS Health, 2004
• King, Keith, Steroids In Schools. Inside NBCActionNews.com
• "Monitoring the Future, A Continuing Study of American Youth," 30 January 2007, http://www.monitoringthefuture.org
• "Anabolic Steroids Effect on the Brain, Mind Over Matter - Anabolic Steroids,"  NIDA for Teens, The Science Behind Drug Abuse, 30 January 2007, http://teens.drugabuse.gov
• ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition Alternatives, 30 January 2007, http://www.ohsu.edu
• “Cutting Teen Steroid Use,” Health A to Z, A World of Health at Your Fingertips, 30 January 2007, http://www.healthatoz.com
• "NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends," NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse", 30 January 2007, http://www.drugabuse.gov
• "Teens and Testosterone,” Steroid Law, Rick Collins, J.D., 30 January 2007 http://www.steroidlaw.com
• "Teens at Risk for Stunted Growth,” NIDA for Teens, The Science Behind Drug Abuse, 30 January 2007, http://teens.drugabuse.gov

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