Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs

Hello again from Chris, the business support officer here at Fast Forward.

This time around I’d like to tell you about an interesting and controversial phenomenon that has been affecting young people more and more over the last few years. This is the use of ‘performance and image enhancing drugs’ (PIEDs) or, as we usually call them, steroids. Actually, anabolic steroids are only one type of ‘PIED’.

There are a huge variety of products out there which you can purchase, designed to augment your body, build muscle and improve your physical performance, but not all of them do what they say on the tin. They are used predominantly by younger men involved in weight lifting, strength training or bodybuilding although some evidence suggests the recent rise is partly caused by guys just wanting to look more attractive and feel better about themselves.

Part of this boom is due to the availability of unregulated products through internet sites, with the products often dispatched from China or India. Some are simple placebos while others are quite dangerous and produce only unpleasant side effects such as bloating or skin problems.

We’ve also seen a strange blurring of the lines between products such as energy drinks, caffeinated drinks, protein shakes and powders, products designed to aid recovery during rest and products containing testosterone and synthetic hormones. Names like ‘Ripped Fuel’, ‘Get Shredded’ and ‘Animal Growth’ are used to conjure wild images of magical transformation from zero to hero in a matter of hours.

The side effects of taking anabolic steroids can include mood swings, growths of breast tissue, liver damage, impotence, hair loss and depression. What’s more surprising is the rise in the number of people using NHS needle exchange facilities who are PIED users. Some needle exchanges have reported that a third or more of their clients are steroid users, which is a dramatic change. We’re pleased that steroid users are accessing the service but the rise does suggest that more and more people are using PIEDs. That’s why Fast Forward is currently working with NHS Lothian needle exchanges to help design training for staff on this issue.

We intend to design a programme that would help anyone working with steroid injectors to provide guidance, advice and information about how to reduce the harm that the drugs cause, how to inject safely, and what kind of side effects they can expect. Working with the NHS has been a very positive experience and we have really learned a great deal from their medical expertise and we’ve been able to provide a lot of help thanks to our experience with young people. We hope to roll out the training in Spring 2013.

It’s important that Fast Forward actively responds to the changing nature of substance misuse and develops new services and the training should do just that.