Steroid use among young prompts calls for new public awareness campaign

The Government has been urged to launch a new public awareness campaign about the dangers of steroid use amid new evidence of a surge in cases involving young teens and adults.

Sinn Féin health spokeswoman, Louise O'Reilly, called for action focussed on schools and gyms, in addition to saying more counselling services must be made available for young people suffering from body dysmorphia issues.

As revealed by the Irish Examiner last month, a person has sought immediate medical help for serious steroid abuse-linked health problems once every nine days so far this year amid fears of a hidden crisis in Ireland's sporting community.

According to new HSE figures:

• 11 people officially sought immediate medical help from hospitals or doctors for health problems caused by steroid use in 2011 (one case every 33 days)
• 17 in 2012 (one every 21 days)
• 13 in 2013 (one every 28 days)
• 19 in 2014 (one every 19 days)
• 28 in 2015 (one every 13 days)
• 20 in 2016 (one every 18 days)
• 24 in 2017 (one every 15 days)
• 17 in 2018 (one every 21 days)
• 13 in the first four months of this year (one every nine days)

During the same period, separate Revenue and garda figures show 38,049 pills or capsules of illegal anabolic steroids were seized by customs officials in 2016, 109,006 in 2017 and 449,411 last year, with Health Minister Simon Harris confirming in a recent Dáil answer there is "growing evidence" of a growth in steroid use.

And, in response to the concerns, Ms O'Reilly said there is a need for a new public awareness campaign on steroids use among young people: "There's been a lot of talk in the media about women's health, we believe it is time to focus on young men. They are a cohort that doesn't really talk. This is something I have discussed with the Minister for Health and also the Minister for Justice because there has been a marked increase in illegal steroids or performance enhancing drugs."

"We believe that correlates with an increase in steroid abuse, and it is linked to a specific form of body dysmorphia or 'bigorexia'. What we're suggesting is in the first instance that there should be a public awareness campaign targeted at gyms.

Ms O'Reilly went on:

"This is very, very particular to young men. While we believe rates are on the rise, it is possible to curb it. But we need an education process".