First Critical Response. Teens and Performance enhancing drugs

I found an article off of CNN.com which was talking about how performance enhancing drugs can harm your body and health. The article is called "Performance Enhancing Drugs and Your Teen Athlete" provided by MayoClinic.com. It talks about how and why teens decide to use them and what parents can do to stop it. According to the Children's Health writers for CNN teens are highly pressured to do steroids and other supplements such as creatine to get the extra gain in a sport they're playing or just want to live up to something. They say that teens think they are less vulnerable and do things other, more mature people wouldn't try. The writers say, "Reasons for teens to do performance enhancing drugs is: pressure from parents, a desire to gain muscle mass, a desire to be stronger, a negative body image, or to compare their body with other people." All the negative affects are too risky to take the drugs and they say it is not worth it. CNN tells parents how to stop their kids from buying performance enhancing drugs by watching what they buy, talk with their coach, and discuss the ethics and proper training.
I agree with the article about how harmful steroids can be and hurt you but if you know how to take and handle creatine without harming your body it isn't that big of a deal. I like some of the techniques they said to use for parents to watch their kids but I agree mostly with just encouraging them in their sport and try and boost their self confidence as much as possible if the teenager needs it.

Mayo Clinic Staff, "Performance Enhancing Drugs and Your Teen Athlete". CNN. 4/2/10 .

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/performance-enhancing-drugs/SM00045.html?iref=allsearch