Anabolic/androgenic steroids are drugs that are obtained from the male hormone,
testosterone
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se ...
. Anabolic steroids are used for muscle-building and strength gain
for cosmetic reasons as well as for performance-enhancement in athletics and bodybuilding. Anabolic steroids work in many ways by increasing
protein synthesis
Protein biosynthesis, or protein synthesis, is a core biological process, occurring inside cells, balancing the loss of cellular proteins (via degradation or export) through the production of new proteins. Proteins perform a number of critica ...
in the muscles and by eliminating the catabolic process (the process of breaking down skeletal muscle for energy). It is common for teens and adults to use steroids as they stimulate and encourage muscle growth much more rapidly than natural body building.
Statistics
In Australia, many people are encouraged to use steroids due to the body image expectations created by society. In secondary schools, 3.2% of boys and 1.2% of girls are using steroids. Many Australian
bodybuilders visit
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
and
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Eastern Thailand, the second-largest city in Chonburi province and the List of municipalities in Thailand, eighth-largest city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, and h ...
in Thailand because the
pharmacies
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
there sell some steroid brands ten times cheaper than they available on the Australian black market. Australians were also purchasing their steroids in other countries to avoid a possible criminal record at home.
Australian Crime Commission statistics have shown that there was a 106% increase in the last financial year of "performance and image-enhancing-drugs", showing 5,561 border detections.
Notable events
In the first 3 months of 2008, 300 AAS seizures were reported by the
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was an Australian federal government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border and facilitating the movement of legitimate international travellers and ...
.
See also
*
Drugs in sport in Australia
References
Drugs in Australia
Anabolic–androgenic steroids
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