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Closed petition PE2024: Create a national, public information programme to raise awareness of the impacts of steroids, selective androgen receptor modulators, and other performance enhancing drugs
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to create a national, public information programme to raise awareness of the impacts of using steroids, selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), and other performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), which should include:
a particular focus on the impact on young people aged 16-25;
working with Community Learning and Development practitioners, gyms, and community coaches to raise awareness; and
developing a public health campaign to highlight the negative impacts of PEDs, encourage regular health check-ups for users, and a screening programme allowing users to test the safety of their PEDs.
Previous action taken
I have spoken to a local MSP, and on their advice, I wrote to the Scottish Government. The Drugs Policy Division responded to say it was focused on the delivery of the National Drugs Mission Plan 2022-2026, which does not address the use of PEDs.
Background information
A few months ago, one of my friends was admitted to hospital with a ruptured aorta. This life-threatening issue came about from steroid use. When I spoke to him, he was horrified at the severity of the issue, and was unaware of how bad the impacts could be having seen many people at his gym, and fitness influencers online, openly use PEDs without apparent impact.
This is not an isolated incident. Every time I attend my gym, PEDs are easily obtained, but information about them is not.
Social media influencers advocate for SARMs, claiming they have no negative impact. The fact that they are legal to buy suggests to users that they are safe, when the reality is they are simply untested. For young teens and adults feeling pressured to look a certain way, social media influencers are dominating the conversation.
From my time in youth work, I'm aware of this growing trend, and have worked with people as young as fourteen using PEDs. Something must change.
This petition was considered by the Scottish Parliament
16 signatures