Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, called for a conversation on the “growing epidemic” of steroid use in the United Kingdom.
On Tuesday 21st February the GP-turned-MP led a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on the use of anabolic steroids and Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPEDs) in the UK, saying “there are an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 users in the UK, but no one is talking about it.”
Members from across the House joined Bosworth’s MP on Tuesday, echoing the cross-party union on the need to address this issue that Dr Evans received last year when he called on companies to improve body image and stop digitally manipulating body proportions.
The local MP touched on his experience as a doctor and GP, briefly recalling conversations he had with men in his clinics who would ask ‘How do I bulk up?’ and request prescriptions for protein powders and creatine.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 anabolic steroids are Class C substances, meaning they can be lawfully sold and supplied with a prescription from appropriate practitioners and possession is lawful when they are intended for personal use and in the form of a medicinal product. However, supply, possession with intent to supply and the manufacture of anabolic steroids is illegal when done without licence.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said during the debate “The problem with steroids is that they work, so people use them and see a drastic improvement. They say, ‘Oh, I’ll only use it once’, but once becomes twice, twice becomes thrice, and so on.
“These are dangerous prescription drugs if they are not used properly. There is a plethora of side effects that are not talked about from the short-term acute stuff that could mean someone has swelling of the brain, a clot or a heart attack, or the long-term effects, such as depression, scarring acne or erectile dysfunction.”
Dr Evans raised several points with Health Minister Neil O’Brien, neighbouring MP for Harborough, but asked the Government for three things: research into the use of steroids and IPEDs, a cross-Departmental taskforce to address the growing issue as well as education and awareness similar to the Government’s work on eating disorders.
“The whole point of this discussion is that no stone should be left unturned,” continued Bosworth’s MP. “The bold ideas might not be right, but they need to be explored, because that is the key thing to do when trying to deal with this issue.”
Members of other parties also contributed to the debate ahead of the Health Minister’s response. Stuart McDonald, a Scottish National Party (SNP) MP, said “The question rightly posed to us today is: what more can we do? I speak from a position of weakness, but I agree that first and foremost, we all need to improve our knowledge of the issue.”
Labour MP and shadow Health Minister, Sarah Jones, added “Help is out there for everyone… there is no shame in seeking help for performance-enhancing drug use and body image issues. It is a sign of bravery and strength, not weakness.
“The reasons that people use steroids and other image and performance-enhancing drugs are complex, but the drugs are illegal and cause serious harm to physical and mental health. This is an issue of public health as much as one of crime.”
Health Minister, Neil O’Brien, responded on behalf of the Government “We should see this as the start of a conversation that I am keen to pursue with [Dr Evans].
“Of course, we know that preventing the trade in steroids is not enough to tackle the problem. As [Dr Evans] rightly said, the wider issue lies with the increased prevalence of body dysmorphia and the societal preference for young men to look a particular way. The rise of social media has undoubtedly increased this pressure in recent years, as young people have greater access to platforms promoting often unrealistic and digitally altered body images.”
