Aside from bodybuilding and other sporting field, anabolic steroids are popular in professions that require physical power and assertiveness like law enforcement.

Anabolic steroids can bulk up a user in immediate and impressive way. This is why they are being used by police officers and firefighters despite the possible legal and health risks. The legal risks involved have been recently amplified with the federal investigation on several law enforcement officers in Tennessee. To date, the probe has resulted to suspension and firing of police officers. Said investigation is still ongoing and now has expanded to involve several states across the country.

There is so much stigma attached to use of steroids in sports, and that emotion is heightened when applied to their use in law enforcement. The fact that these substances, which can cause aggressive and irrational behavior, are used by people who are supposed to uphold the law elicits stigma – and fear – among the public.

Despite the well-known fact that use of steroids can destroy one’s career, as well as the stigma that may be caused by their use, why do these individuals still avail of these drugs?

Gene Sanders, a former law enforcer and a veteran police psychologist in California, succinctly explains the motivation: “The thinking is that big is better than small, tough is better than weak.”

Unfortunately, such motivation is also what pushing criminals to use steroids. Yes, criminals, too, have tested the potentials of anabolic steroids. In countries like Norway, for instance, there are reports that criminals use substances that give them ‘feelings of invincibility’. In its capital Oslo, criminals are reportedly taking ‘torpedoes’, which are blends of steroids and amphetamines to induce psychopathic state.  However, it seems the use of ‘torpedoes’ is completely misrepresented.  It seems that drug users never even buy steroids to begin with, and the cocktails have no steroids in them - only meth and painkillers.

If this is the case, should officers be blamed or punished for using steroids that can make them more effective in carrying out their duties against criminals? Being bigger and stronger is also a safety net for these officers who are constantly faced with life-threatening situations.

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News of steroids use in Major League as well as in the athletic field has been recently landing on front pages of news sources. This hot topic is also bleeding over into the horse racing sports and industry.

With the recent appointment of DVM Mary Scollay as Kentucky’s first equine medical director, the use of anabolic steroids on equines may be facing stricter regulations. Her appointment came in the aftermath of the tragic end of Eight Belles, a filly who finished second in the recent Kentucky Derby held on May 3. Eight Belles has suffered injury only a quarter of a mile past the finish line and has to be euthanized several minutes later.

Anabolic steroids are widely used in the industry for bulking up young horses in sales. In race horsing, these compounds are known to enhance appearance and performance of show horses and racehorses. Use of anabolic steroids on horses is legal in the United States except for the state of Iowa. However, because of recent negative events in race tracks across the country, such practice may end soon.

There have been much publicized criticisms that say animals are exploited through the use of anabolic steroids to boost stamina and power. The Congress, for one, has questioned the practice of injecting racehorses with steroids to keep them on their feet during the weeks before high-stakes races. Also, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and other similar groups have proposed a ban on steroid use in the month prior a race to give horses time to get the drugs out of their systems. If this proposal is pushed through, it would be in effect December this year.

However, at the other side of the fence, are opponents of a blanket ban on steroids use. Steroids, they say, are necessary to aid in horses’ recovery from different conditions, which include abdominal and respiratory illnesses, and physical injuries. Further, they say there is no evidence that this group of drugs make horses run faster.

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The recent incident in the Triple Crown on May 3 has spotlighted the use of anabolic steroids in horse racing once again. Champion filly Eight Belles has suffered two broken front ankles after finishing second in the Derby; and several minutes later, she has to be euthanized on the track.

In the statistics provided by Kentucky’s state veterinarian Lafe Nichols, DVM, it reported that in 2007, there were 45 fatal injuries in races conducted at the Kentucky tracks. Non-fatal-injuries were 81. Further, Nichols said that 23% of the 23,309 horses started at the same tracks have tested positive for medical violations. And of the 1,586 horses tested for the prohibited TCO2 only one was tested positive. TCO2, commonly called milkshake, is a mixture of bicarbonate and/or other alkaline substances that is fed to a horse before it competes. The mixture produces higher levels of carbon dioxide that delays the buildup of lactic acid in a horse’s muscles and is believed to increase stamina.

Why are anabolic steroids used on horses? The characteristics of Equipoise (boldenone) and Winstrol (stanozolol), two of the most commonly used steroids on horses, can explain why these compounds are popular in the equine industry.

These two steroids reportedly increase protein synthesis, a chemical process ideal for the body’s muscle-muscle building activity. Winstrol’s advertised properties are promotion of appetite, weight gain, stamina, hair/coat growth, and tissue healing. Further, it is promoted as a substance that corrects nitrogen imbalance without the undesirable effects of unmanageable behavior, aggressive tendencies, and impaired reproductive activity.

Equipoise’s advertisement, on the other hand, states that this drug is ideal for lean body weight, appetite, and general disposition of horses.

In humans, anabolic steroids (including veterinary-grade compounds such Equipoise and Winstrol) are popular among bodybuilders. They are widely used because they are believed to improve physique and performance. Their use, however, is considered to be illegal in most sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee.

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The tragic end of champion filly Eight Belles recently has heightened the public awareness on the use of anabolic steroids on horses. It has also put pressure on horse race horsing authorities across the United States to curb this practice.

The recent hiring of Dr. Mary Scollay as Kentucky’s first equine medical director might be the response to that growing pressure. According to a release announcing the appointment, Scollay will “serve as a consultant on equine medication and health issues and make recommendations on strategies to enhance equine safety and to prevent illicit activities.”

Scollay’s duties include recommending how to prevent illicit activities in horse medication and implementing stricter review procedures for horse autopsies. Further, the Florida veterinarian ‘will help advise whether – and how – the state should impose steroid tests,’ according to Sports Illustrated article. Her appointment was announced on May 19 during a meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA).

Scollay is a 13-year senior veterinarian at Calder Race Course and Gulfstream Park. She has been at the forefront in the national investigation concerning race horses’ welfare. She will begin her duties on July under a contract between KHRA and the University of Kentucky Research Foundation.

The incident of Eight Belles occurred at the 134th Kentucky Derby held at Churchill Downs on May 3. In said event, Eight Belles has finished second to Big Brown but has to be euthanized after she collapsed with two broken front ankles. The filly was euthanized on the track several minutes later.

The autopsy report on Eight Belles, however, showed she was negative for steroids. Same report said that she had no diseases or pre-existing bone abnormalities before her breakdown. The other 19 horses in the Derby were also tested for improper medication levels and the results came back negative.

Anabolic steroids are used on horses primarily to speed up recovery of horses suffering from illnesses, injury, or extreme stress. Anabolic steroids promote erythropoiesis (red blood cell production), protein synthesis as well as healthy appetite on horses.

Also, it seems the trainers decided to buy steroids from down south in Mexico! causing the initial investigation into steroid use.

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