Early efforts to prevent steroid abuse mainly focused on drug testing and on explaining students about the drugs’ negative effects.
- Some school districts check for abuse of illicit drugs, which also includes steroids. Such testing helps in reducing drug abuse to some extent. Research conducted on steroid educational programs has proved that only educating students about steroids’ negative effects will not effect adolescents as there are influenced (negative) personally. This also did not prevent young people from taking steroids in the future.
- Demonstrating both the dangers and benefits of anabolic steroid use is more productive in satisfying adolescents about steroids’ adverse effects, because students will recognize fair approach on more credible and less biased, according to the researchers. This balanced approach will prevent adolescents from abusing steroids only to some extent.
- A more sophisticated approach has shown impact in restricting steroid abuse among players in high school sports teams. In the ATLAS program, which is conducted for male football players, coaches and team leaders will review the possible consequences of anabolic steroids and other illicit drugs on actual sports performance, and they also teach how to reject offers of drugs. They will explain how strength training and proper nutrition encourages adolescents to build their bodies without using steroids. After this, special trainers teach the players appropriate weightlifting techniques.
An ongoing course of studies has revealed that multicomponent, team-centered approach decrease new steroid abuse by 50 percent.