Steroids: Are they legal or not?

It seems that there is a lot of confusion about the legal status of steroids. This page aims to clear up any misconceptions people have on this matter.Many people, who are interested in using steroids, believe they are illegal substances and cannot be bought or sold unless you have a valid prescription from your doctor. This is not true at all.

CLASS C DRUGS

 Anabolic Steroids are legally classified as class C drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. They can be purchased without a prescription although it may prove difficult for some people to find someone who will sell them to you without trying to make an issue out their sale. Major pharmaceutical companies produce injectable forms of Anabolic Steroids for the veterinary market and these can be purchased from veterinary clinics with no questions asked. Oral forms of anabolic steroids are more difficult to obtain but if you persevere you will find them.

 There is a great deal of ignorance in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the UK when it comes to the issue of anabolic steroid use in sports. Many people still believe that all supplements and dietary aids are either illegal or banned in sport in some way and this is simply untrue. 

SUBSTANCES THAT ARE PROHIBITED IN A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT:

Only the following substances are prohibited: diuretics (“water pills”), beta-2 agonists (e.g.,  clenbuterol , salbutamol), anti-estrogens (e.g.,  tamoxifen  and  clomiphene ), and stimulants (e.g., amphetamine , methamphetamine , cocaine ).

 It is up to you as an athlete or sportsperson who has tested positive for a prohibited substance as to whether you will return a positive test result. You have the choice of accepting the test result, explaining how your sample could have been contaminated, or disputing the accuracy of the testing procedure or process used by your sport’s governing body. If you decide Buy Steroids UK to dispute the result, your sport’s governing body or anti-doping agency has a duty to prove that you were using the prohibited substance and it is not for you as an athlete to prove that you were not taking it. This means that if you have had a lot of press coverage on how easy it is to contaminate a sample then this can be used as evidence against you and, therefore, may increase the likelihood of your case being proven against you.

The WADA code:

It would be naive to think that all athletes are drug free but there is provision within the WADA code which allows for those who comply with their national anti-doping organizations’ rules and regulations (e.g.,best practice  to prevent contamination) as well as follow the advice of their doctors when taking prohibited substances for valid medical reasons to receive therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs). This means that an athlete can be prescribed a prohibited substance by their doctor and have this approved by their national anti-doping organization. The TUE committee meets several times each year to rule on applications made by athletes who wish to take a prohibited substance for medical reasons.

There are four types of permitted medications which are exempt from many of the procedural rules outlined in the WADA Code: asthma inhalers, insulin, “associated medication”, and “localized therapy”. Asthma inhalers are mainly used before exercise but some people do inhale them just before they provide a urine sample. They contain small amounts of adrenalin which can be detected in a urine sample and get you disqualified for using a prohibited substance.

If insulin is taken by an athlete with diabetes it needs to be prescribed and administered in the correct manner. There are some athletes who take more insulin than they require or inject themselves with un-prescribed forms of insulin so that their bodies produce large amounts of the hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and this has recently been classified as a prohibited substance under section S2: Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimeticsof the WADA code.

Steroids UK Localized therapy, such as the use of substances to treat muscle injuries or to enhance blood circulation in order to accelerate recovery rates, is permitted by athletes provided it is not taken in conjunction with any prohibited substance.

Associated medication is permitted for athletes although they must inform their national anti-doping organization that the medication is being taken at least ten days before providing a sample for testing. This allows enough time for traces of the medication or its metabolites (breakdown products) to be flushed from the body before testing takes place.

The WADA code also permits low levels of certain medications which appear on section S6:Diuretics and Masking Agents of their prohibited list. Some athletes compete in endurance sports were taking diuretics in low doses can give an athlete a competitive advantage by reducing their weight and increasing their urine production when they lose fluid.

These substances are banned in high doses because they increase the blood pressure and dehydrate the body which leads to medical conditions such as oedema (fluid retention). Masking agents, such as diuretics, cover up the presence of other prohibited substances within your system.

 The use of anabolic steroids is regulated under section S1: Anabolic Agents of the WADA code and it is only permitted for valid medical reasons so you need a TUE to use them legally. This means that if you take anabolic steroids your doctor will need to file a therapeutic use exemption request on your behalf with your national anti-doping organization if you are taking them for valid medical reasons. 

CONCLUSION: 

Anabolic steroids are a class of steroid hormones with androgenic properties which help to build muscle mass in the body. Although they are permitted for medical reasons if prescribed by a doctor for valid medical needs, they are banned from use in competitive sport without a TUE. 

The majority of steroid users in the UK buy anabolic steroids online for two main reasons. One is that you can find quality products at very competitive prices and secondly, buying steroids in the UK can be daunting because there are so many rogue websites out there.