Steroids - Inject Your Resources Elsewhere!

DEA nets largest steroid bust in US history!
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The case has everything but big names — so far.

The largest steroid bust in U.S. history took 18 months, involved nine other countries and included raids on 56 drug labs that resulted in the confiscation of 11.4 million doses of steroids and the development of a database of thousands of customers.

Don't count on big names being exposed in the near future by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which spearheaded Operation Raw Deal. Will the DEA eventually share info with major sports organizations?

"We don't know yet," DEA spokesman Rusty Payne said. "It's going to take time to work these issues out. We're still evaluating what the heck we have.

"Everybody's hung up on names, I realize, but these are decisions that just aren't going to be made in the next 48 hours or the next week, really."

David Howman, the director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said they were confident of U.S. government cooperation, based on past experience, including the BALCO doping case.

More than MLB, the NFL or Olympics, the DEA is focused on China. "We're targeting the source of supply for all the steroids and human growth hormone in the U.S., and 99.9% of it is coming from China," Payne said.

Chinese authorities have shut down one lab. The DEA has given China information on 37 other companies supplying banned performance-enhancing drugs. "We decided rather than indicting these companies and publicly naming them, it would be more productive to work with the Chinese," Payne said. "The cooperation has been unprecedented. I'm not going to say China is shut down. We've got a lot more to do."

The repercussions of Raw Deal could be felt for years. "We have a huge amount of names to go through," Payne said. "We've intercepted hundreds of thousands of e-mails. We've infiltrated the underground steroid market in the U.S. We have names, labs, sources of supply — every step of the chain from China to the U.S."

Steroid expert Gary Wadler said the bust indicates "how pervasive" steroids are: "This goes beyond elite sport. The magnitude of the problem is huge."

-By Dick Patrick, USA TODAY

The Numbers:

The investigation, dubbed Operation Raw Deal, took place over 18 months and is the biggest bust on record in the USA. Other numbers:

143 search warrants issued
124 people arrested
56 laboratories seized
11.4 million steroid doses seized
242 kilograms of raw steroid powder seized
$6.5 million seized
25 vehicles seized
3 boats seized
27 pill presses seized
71 weapons recovered
9 countries in addition to the USA conducted busts

Source: DEA



Should the government be spending time and money enforcing a victimless crime?

No.

Victimless? What about 'roid rage'?

Roid rage is a myth perpetuated by the misinformed media.

Steroids will make you slightly more aggressive and more confident. They give you a sense of well being and confidence. However, they will not make you an unprovoked angry psychopath.


But I thought steroids were bad for you.

Like any drug, excessive use or abuse can be dangerous.


Then why are they illegal?

Steroids are illegal for two main reasons.

1. Abuse. Many people abuse steroids and like abusing any other drug, experience adverse effects to their health.
2. Misinformation. The media and general public have created and perpetuated a stigma surrounding steroids that has become the popular opinion. A thousand responsible users can go unnoticed but it takes only one substance abuser to gain national coverage. In short; a few bad apples have spoiled the bunch.