The recent steroid related murder incidents in UK have triggered significant concerns from health experts. The case of Raoul Moat and Jonathan Vass, who were involved in heinous crimes, were both steroid users. According to reports they were both victims of roid rage as a result of using anabolic steroids.

The use of muscle enhancers and bodybuilding supplements in the UK is still increasing despite strict regulations of the drug. It is a class c drug but most often it can be purchased at local gyms and underground markets. In the latest estimate of the British Crime Survey, there are at least 226,000 people who have used steroids. However, health experts believe that the statistics are way to low. They said that there are still a huge number of undocumented steroid users in the country.

Nick Francis of The Sun interviewed several health experts and some of them work in needle exchange programs. It was revealed that the majority of the needles came from steroid users. According to Dr. Ken Checinski, a consultant psychologist for drugs information charity FRANK, half of the needles they requested were steroid packs. “I do a lot of work with needle-exchange services, run by Addaction, the UK’s biggest drug-treatment charity. It used to be mostly needles used for injection of drugs like heroin,” he said. There is a huge increase in the number of users.

“Steroids definitely make people who are already prone to mood issues worse, and can make a placid person irritable, depressed and violent in extreme cases,” said Dr. Checinski. Anabolic steroids are also used in legitimate medical treatments but Dr. Checinski said that it could still cause mood disorders which can be depression or anger.

Another drug charity worker interviewed by Francis revealed the same facts. Roy Jones of drugs charity Turning Point said that the needle-exchange programs in the country are flooded with steroid users surpassing the number of users of recreational drugs like heroin. “We’re seeing more and more people come in with steroid use - from all walks of life, including doctors and lawyers. Their average age used to be around 34 but now a lot of users are in their late teens or early twenties,” Jones said. There are even students as young as 12 years old who are already interested in taking steroids.

According to Dr. Jim McVeigh of John Moores University in Liverpool, the increasing number is caused by people’s belief that steroids can help them achieve what they want at a faster pace. “We’re now seeing a much higher proportion of people turning to anabolic steroids as a quick fix. They take them too lightly. The number of users is definitely greater than stated in the official statistics,” McVeigh said.

Almost all bodybuilders depend on anabolic steroids to increase muscles and gain more weight. However, health experts warn them of the possible side effects of using steroids for longer periods and their tendency to abuse these drugs. “Having dealt with a number of steroid users over the years, I would say the steroids are as bad for the liver as alcohol. They also cause baldness and acne on the face and body,” said Dr. Checinski. “They don’t increase strength as much as size, with users looking big but not necessarily becoming stronger. But people with low self-esteem, or who feel pressure to have a strong physique, are most likely to use them,” he added.

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