The president of the state police chief’s association said he believes that most departments in New Jersey will add the substances to the list of drugs for which officers are randomly tested after Attorney General Paula Dow pushed a spate of reforms designed to combat steroid abuse in law enforcement.

William Nally, the police chief in Lacey Township and president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, was one of several law enforcement officials to predict random steroid testing becoming more common after the Attorney General’s Office completes revisions to its drug-testing guidelines.

From NJ.com:

As part of her reforms, Dow has said the guidelines will be rewritten to give police departments new authority to test officers for steroids, which only a handful of agencies now do.

While departments are not required to conduct steroid tests under the revised rules, Nally said he expects the vast majority will take part, even if that means testing just a few officers in a given department every six months.

“I’m sure as soon as the policy is revised, almost every police department that’s involved in drug testing will incorporate this into their policies,” Nally said. “I think you’ll have complete cooperation from law enforcement.”

Nally’s comment followed a press conference in which Dow formally unveiled her reform measures, which were prompted by a Star-Ledger investigation published in December.

Dow said during Thursday’s press conference in Hamilton that the newspaper’s three-part series “highlighted the damage that can be done when a doctor’s actions go unchecked and individuals become aware of the opportunity to obtain medications they may not be entitled to.”

Tags:  steroid abuse, steroid-testing, Steroids

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The former Oregon City High School strength and conditioning coach, Brian Jackson, has pleaded guilty to supplying steroids to a Canby police officer.

The 36-year-old was led away to spend 30 days in Clackamas County jail, followed by two years probation.

From Oregonlive.com:

Clackamas County Circuit Judge Douglas V. Van Dyk ordered Jackson not to use or possess any steroids or human growth hormone, nor any alcohol or drugs and to pay a $107 fine to the court.

He also was ordered not to have any contact with co-defendants, Jason Deason, the former Canby officer who resigned from the job last July during an FBI investigation, and William Traverso, a Canby businessman also accused of providing steroids to Deason.

The judge and Clackamas County prosecutor Michael Wu said the sentence was reached partly because of Jackson took “early responsibility” for his actions and cooperated with the FBI inquiry that led to his arrest.

It marks the first criminal conviction resulting from the federal public corruption investigation into the Canby officer’s steroid abuse, and follows the resignation last month of Canby Police Chief Greg Kroeplin, accused of failing to properly investigate his officer’s drug use.

FBI was told by Traverso, a former competitive bodybuilder who worked at his family’s Canby Landscape Supply, that Jackson was his main supplier of steroid pills from 2002 through 2005.

Tags:  Brian Jackson, human growth hormone, steroid abuse, steroid pills, Steroids

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Despite protests and outcries from members of sporting confederations and sportsmen, the relationship between sports and steroids is getting better than ever with more and more sportsmen making use of steroids than in the past.

While some people say that steroids are harmful to the human bodies, the truth is often kept hidden and the truth is that steroids do not bring any side effects with them, unless the steroid user starts abusing steroids.

From Entertainment.howstuffworks.com:

Anabolic Steroids

A steroid is a chemical substance derived from cholesterol. The body has several major steroid hormones — cortisol and testosterone in the male, estrogen and progesterone in the female. Catabolic steroids break down tissue, and anabolic steroids build up tissue. Anabolic steroids build muscle and bone mass primarily by stimulating the muscle and bone cells to make new protein.

Athletes use anabolic steroids because they increase muscle strength by encouraging new muscle growth. Anabolic steroids are similar in structure to the male sex hormone, testosterone, so they enhance male reproductive and secondary sex characteristics (testicle development, hair growth, thickening of the vocal cords). They allow the athlete to train harder and longer at any given period.

Anabolic steroids are mostly testosterone (male sex hormone) and its derivatives. Examples of anabolic steroids include:

* Testosterone
* Dihydrotestosterone
* Androstenedione (Andro)
* Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
* Clostebol
* Nandrolone

By having a close look at the above points, it can be clearly concluded that anabolic steroids are exceptional products that helps in building lean muscle mass besides brining favorable changes in body mass and function.

Tags:  Anabolic steroids, anabolic steroids in sports, Catabolic steroids, Clostebol, Dihydrotestosterone, Examples of anabolic steroids, Nandrolone, steroid abuse, testosterone

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Suspended Philadelphia Phillies star pitcher, J.C. Romero has filed a lawsuit against the nutritional supplements makers and distributors, who according to him were responsible for his positive steroid test. The player got a 50-match suspension order last August.

The 27-page lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in New Jersey Superior Court in Camden County, held the product 6-OXO Extreme responsible for traces of androstenedione found in the pitcher’s urine on Aug. 26, 2008. The lawsuit also consisted of various other counts, including negligence, intentional misrepresentation and consumer fraud.

The four defendants named under it are GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Ergopharm and Proviant Technologies. Among which the latter two are owned and operated by Patrick Arnold, an Illinois-based chemist who at the moment is in federal prison for his role in the BALCO affair. Though, he did not give any counter statement regarding the lawsuit action.

Romero said that he purchased an over-the-counter supplement that was told would not cause him test positive. He also said that the issue had hurt him deeply and ruined his career, accomplishments and family. But, he wanted to start again while putting the issue on backburner and would also try to protect the interests of others, who rely on manufacturers and retailers to be honest about their products.

From New York Daily News:

Suspended Phillies reliever J.C. Romero is suing the makers and distributors of nutritional supplements that he says are responsible for his positive steroid test last August. The 27-page lawsuit, filed Monday in New Jersey Superior Court in Camden County, blames the product 6-OXO Extreme for traces of androstenedione found in the pitcher’s urine on Aug. 26, 2008. The numerous counts in the lawsuit include negligence, intentional misrepresentation and consumer fraud. The four defendants named are GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Ergopharm and Proviant Technologies.

Romero was found tested positive for androstenedione on Aug. 26, 2008 and received a 50-game ban which was not made public until January of this year. Despite of his suspension by MLB, the pitcher was allowed to train with the Phillies during spring training session and in pregame practices, but was not being paid for it.

Gary Wadler, a New York internist affiliated with the World Anti-Doping Agency, stated that Romero situation brought in limelight a well-known problem with the under-regulated supplement industry. He also said that they had made it clear that athletes were at great risk when they take supplements. They have little to gain and a lot to lose.

Tags:  androstenedione, BALCO, J.C. Romero, nutritional supplements, steroid abuse

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Football could face elimination threat from Olympic if its chief bodies, FIFA and its European counterpart UEFA, failed to fulfill the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) “whereabouts” code.

The governing bodies said that they wanted to respect players’ privacy and Wada’s new code did not follow it. According to new code, athletes must make themselves available to testers for one hour a day, three months in advance and Wada wants football to join the fight against steroid abuse.

However, FIFA and UEFA asked Wada to review its position on the ‘whereabouts’ rule. The governing bodies wanted to draw attention towards the fundamental differences between an individual athlete, who trains on his own, and a team sport’s athlete, who is present at the stadium six days out of seven and thus easy to locate. Both of the bodies also want to substiute individual ‘whereabouts’ rule by collective location rules. Prior, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) had already signalled their opposition to the WADA’s new code of doping.

However, Wada general secretary David Howman said that the sport could be removed from the Olympics. He also added that there was a clause in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter that stated that- it falls in the IOC jurisdiction and not ours.

From BBC:

Football’s place in the Olympics could be under threat if its chief bodies do not comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) “whereabouts” code.

Wada wants football to join sports like athletics and provide players’ location for one hour each day of the year.

World football body, Fifa, and its European counterpart, Uefa, said they wanted to respect players’ privacy.

“The sport could be removed from the Olympics,” Wada general secretary David Howman told BBC 5 Live.

He added: “There is a clause in the IOC (International Olympic Committee) charter that states this – it falls in the IOC jurisdiction and not ours.”

However, Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who sits on Wada’s board, said that football’s world governing body had teamed up with other team sports, such as basketball, ice hockey and rugby union, to oppose the rules. He said that they were a little bit surprised that through certain declarations [Wada] said that no exceptions would be made.

“One of the key principles of efficient doping control is the surprise effect and the possibility to test an athlete without advance notice on a 365-day basis,” responses John Fahey, President of Wada.

Tags:  Doping test, FIFA, International Olympic Committee, steroid abuse, UEFA, WADA

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The Michigan Office of Racing Commissioner (ORC) has implemented ban on the use of anabolic setroids to race horses at any pari-mutuel track in the state. Based on the proposals made by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) and several other national horse racing associations, all horses would now be subjected to testing for the presence of anabolic steroids.

The prohibition rule has come into effect from the beginning of this month, but a grace period of 60-days till June 1, 2009 would be given to accused trainers. Only after the date, any test with the presence of anabolic steroids will be subjected to fine and suspension.

The Michigan ORC would follow the nationally accepted residue thresholds for the four recognized anabolic steroids, named Boldenone (Equipoise), Nandrolone, testosterone and metabolite of stanozolol (Winstrol), as suggested by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) and ARCI. Besides these, existence of any other steroid is also strictly prohibited and the presence of more than one of these four banned drugs at any concentration is not permitted too.

Along with these prohibition rules, any sick or injured horse, being treated with anabolic steroids, would not be allowed to race at a Michigan pari-mutuel track until the horse got a clean chit for complete elimination of drug’s remains.

From Steroidology News:

Historically, trainers have given anabolic steroids to race horses for different reasons including increasing appetite and aggressiveness and promoting muscle development. However, recent events have caused the entire horse racing industry to review the use of steroids.

Based upon recommendations made by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) and a number of other national horse racing associations, steroid use is now deemed contrary to the best interests of race horses and horse racing. As such, beginning on April 1, 2009, the presence of anabolic steroids will be prohibited in all horses entered to race at any pari-mutuel track in Michigan. All horses will now be subject to testing for anabolic steroids.

The Michigan ORC will follow the nationally accepted residue thresholds for the four recognized anabolic steroids listed below as set forth by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) and the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).

Earlier, trainers inject race horses with steroids because of various reasons, including increasing appetite, aggressiveness and muscle development. But, some recent events of steroid abuse formed the basis to review this earlier application policy of steroids in horse racing industry.

Tags:  Anabolic steroids, Association of Racing Commissioners International, Equipoise, Michigan ORC, Nandrolone, Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, steroid abuse, testosterone, Winstrol

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