USADA joins with other agencies to curb sales of steroid supplements

Retailers of steroid tainted supplements could soong find itharder to sell illegal substances. The United States Anti-Doping Agency, NFL, and Major League Baseball have teamed up to urge the government to crack down on sales of steroid supplements and other banned substances.

Travis Tygart, USADA chief executive officer said in a press conference, "Our mission is to urge Congress to establish a regulatory framework that ensures that all supplements sold over the counter in retail stores and online are safe and effective and that the federal agencies regulating this industry have the tools to effectively protect consumers' health." The concern stems from harm to consumers who could take adulterated supplements that can cause harm.

Athletes who test positive for steroids have blamed sales of supplements, which may or may not be true. In 2008, J.C. Romero of the Philadelphia Phillies blamed GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and two other supplement retailers after he tested positive for the steroid precursor androstenedione. He subsequently filed a lawsuit, after being banned from 50 games.

A large number of supplements sold on the internet and at retailers are adulterated. According to Tygart, "From our perspective, until these problems are adequately addressed, even the most informed and cautious consumer can't have full confidence in their choice when deciding to select supplements," Tygart said.

Tygart said USADA officials purchased a steroid-tainted product called P-Plex through Amazon.com recently. The supplement contained a steroid created for BALCO called Madol.

The FDA has had a hard time tracking steroid laced supplements, and manufacturers have taken advantage of the situation. One of the biggest concerns is children who could unwittingly cause harm from taking tainted supplements sold on the internet or at retailers.

Tygart says, “We are absolutely targeting the rogue profiteers who have hijacked the legitimate distribution channels of the supplement industry to push their drugs on our kids.”

A December 2 article published in JAMA found that 2 percent of junior high students reported using steroid in the past year, and five percent of twelfth graders also reported steroid use – including 2.7 percent of females in grade 12.

Some steroid supplements are marketable under the radar because of the way they act in the body after they are ingested. In his press conference Tygart cited several studies showing that up to 25 percent of supplements made in America contained steroids and 11 percent contained stimulants.

The USADA hopes to crack down on the sales of steroid laced supplements by joining forces with other agencies, in a program tagged `Supplement Safety Now'. Tygart has appeared twice in the past three months urging Congress to take affirmative action to curb sales of steroid laced and adulterated supplements through tighter regulations.

Source:
http://61-755.com/news