Thomas Mott Osborne: “Mr. Speaker, in 2000, Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs. In 2001, more than one million children ages 12 to 17 used…”

“Mr. Speaker, in 2000, Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs. In 2001, more than one million children ages 12 to 17 used performance enhancing substances, and 390,000 children aged 10 to 14 used performance enhancing drugs or supplements. Chief among these substances used by teenagers was androstendione, which Mark McGwire admitted using when setting the record. Mr. Speaker, androstendione is a steroid precursor. It is not a steroid under current definition; yet when ingested, it becomes a steroid, and it can be purchased over the counter by teenagers. Androstendione and other precursors are banned by the NCAA, the United States Olympic Committee, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association; but it is not banned by Major League Baseball, high schools and junior high schools; and this just does not make any sense. Steroids and steroid precursors cause cancer of the liver and kidneys, heart disease, stunt growth, cause extreme aggression and depression sometimes leading to teenage suicide, and the younger the user the more negative the consequences. But they also can build muscle, and therein lies the problem.…”