Beyond performance enhancement: polypharmacy among collegiate users of steroids.
The extremely low prevalence of steroid use among college students makes it virtually impossible to conduct analyses on any single college campus. By studying a cohort of 58,625 college students from 78 institutions that administered the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey in 1990 and 1991, a critical mass of 175 users on which it was possible to conduct statistical analyses was identified. Compared with a randomly selected group of nonusers, the steroid users reported consuming dramatically more alcohol and demonstrated higher rates of binge drinking. In addition, a significantly higher percentage of steroid users reported using tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, sedatives, hallucinogens, opiates, inhalants, and designer drugs. A higher percentage of steroid users than nonusers also reported experiencing negative consequences as a result of substance abuse, and a greater percentage of the steroid users reported family histories of abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Implications from the standpoint of student development are discussed.
Meilman
P W
PW
Counseling Center, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA.
Crace
R K
RK
Presley
C A
CA
Lyerla
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R
D000328:Adult; D045930:Anabolic Agents; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004300:Doping in Sports / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013333:Student Health Services; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D045930:Anabolic Agents