Allowing the use of steroids by professional athletes increases the chance that teenagers will use these harmful drugs. Thousands of youth athletes across America admire professionals and will often do whatever they can to be like their idols. These youth athletes see steroid use in professional sports and believe that makes it okay for them to use these drugs as well.

Although it is against the rules, professional athletes often use Performance Enhancing Drugs(PED’s) in order to gain a competitive edge. Many teens see these headlines and some believe that using PED’s will help them become better athletes. They justify this because of the fact that some of their favorite professionals got to the top using steroids, and they are determined to get there as well.

An article by the Department of Health states, “They may use that determination to justify the use of anabolic steroids, despite evidence that these drugs can inflict irreversible physical harm and have significant side effects.” Many teens are using PED’s to become better athletes without thinking about the dangerous side effects that could drastically affect their future.

High School athletes often admire professionals in their respective sports, and they try to recreate the style of their favorite professional. If youth athletes see that their idol is using steroids, they will believe it is okay for them to use these drugs as well.  

A hearing from congress states, “For many male high school athletes, pro athletes are major influences. They are the role models. They choose the jersey numbers of their favorite professional players. They emulate their training regimens. They emulate their style of play. And they are influenced by their drug use.

When a professional athlete admits to using steroids, the message young athletes hear is not always the one that is intended. Young athletes often believe that steroid use by their role models gives them permission to use. That it is simply part of what one must do to become an elite athlete.”

To put it clearly, if a professional athlete uses steroids, there is a large chance that hundreds of teenagers will follow suit. These student-athletes repeatedly try to imitate their idols and pro athlete drug use is their justification to take Performance Enhancing Drugs.

As stated earlier, teens see professionals as role models. The problem of PED use in Major League Baseball is causing an increase in the use of steroids by teens. A study conducted by The College of New Jersey found that 20.7% of high school seniors said that pro athletes influenced their decision to use anabolic steroids (Hoffman). These teenagers role models may be unintentionally introducing PED’s to a younger generation of athletes.. Unfortunately, teens do not see the other side of steroid use and how it negatively affects the human body.

The Digital Citizens Alliance states, “Major League Baseball has made a serious commitment to rid the sport of drugs. But what lessons will young athletes take from the latest APED scandal enveloping some of MLB’s players?... To many young athletes, steroids may seem worth the risk because the headlines confirm that their favorite athlete made it to the top of their sport by using APEDs (Statement of Rep. Henry A. Waxman).” Most high school athletes dream of competing at the next level, and if their role model is using steroids these teenagers might believe that using Performance Enhancing Drugs is the way to get to that next level.

The debate continues on whether or not steroids should be allowed in sports; however, the legalization of PEDs could cause an extremely dangerous trickle down of these drugs that could lead to some very serious health concerns in youth. These kids across America are making dangerous decisions that could affect their lives forever.