Research on steroid educational programs has shown that simply teaching students about steroids' adverse effects does not convince adolescents that they personally can be adversely affected. Nor does such instruction discourage young people from taking steroids in the future. Presenting both the risks and benefits of anabolic steroid use is more effective in convincing adolescents about steroids' negative effects, apparently because the students find a balanced approach more credible and less biased, according to the researchers. However, the balanced approach still does not discourage adolescents from abusing steroids.

A more sophisticated approach has shown promise for preventing steroid abuse among players on high school sports teams. In the ATLAS program, developed for male football players, coaches and team leaders discuss the potential effects of anabolic steroids and other illicit drugs on immediate sports performance, and they teach how to refuse offers of drugs. They also discuss how strength training and proper nutrition can help adolescents build their bodies without the use of steroids. Later, special trainers teach the players proper weightlifting techniques. An ongoing series of studies has shown that this multicomponent, team-centered approach reduces new steroid abuse by 50 percent. A program designed for adolescent girls on sports teams, patterned after the program designed for boys, is currently being tested.

Drugs of Abuse
Alcohol	Cocaine/Crack	Ecstasy
Heroin	Inhalants	Ketamine
Meth	Marijuana	Nicotine
Ritalin	Steroids
More Resources
• Warning Signs of Teenage Drug Abuse
• Big Changes From Elementary School to Middle School
• Pressured Tweens & Teens Turn to Alcohol & Drugs
• Help for the Innocent
• Americans in Denial About Drug Abuse
• Sex Under the Influence of Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Youth Risk Behaviors
• Impaired Driving and Teenagers

Source: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).