One of the United Kingdoms most prominent politicians are working to make it a criminal offense to be in possession of anabolic steroids without a genuine and valid doctors prescription. Lord Campbell has over 40 years of political power under his belt and is pushing to make it a criminal offense to have steroids for athletic purposes.
Campbell is the chancellor at the University of St.Andrews, which is located in Scotland. Throughout his time in government, he has striven to make the possession and use of anabolic steroids a criminal act, but only for those who use it for a non-medical reason.
In the UK, possessing and using anabolic steroids for personal gains is not currently a criminal offense. In fact, as per the 1971 misuse of drugs act, steroid use if completely legal. It is only the sale and distribution of anabolic steroids in the UK, which is a criminal offense. Bodybuilders and athletes are free to use steroids as they see fit, and can do so without fear or worry of being arrested and prosecuted for doing so.
Bodybuilders and athletes understandably appreciate the current relaxation of the laws surrounding steroid use, but those who are anti-doping are still out to bring it all to an end. Those who are anti-steroid see them as being a way of cheating and immoral, so it comes as no shock to learn that these are the ones who continuously lobby the government to bring an end to the freedom to use steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.
Of all the politicians in Parliament, Lord Menzies is seen as the beacon of light who aims to reclassify the use and possession of steroids into the same class of Cannabis and other similar drugs. If he succeeds, then possessing and using steroids would become a crime. However, current Cannabis laws do not lead to prosecution for small amounts seen for personal use, so would the laws be equal for steroids? And if so, would it even be worth introducing them?
Campbell says that he believes it is too easy for athletes to procure and use steroids under current UK laws, and that the temptation to use them to improve their athletic career is overwhelming. He went on to say that there is an ever-growing problem due to the professionalism involved in field and track sports, and that the financial rewards for making it to the top are one of the key reasons as to why athletes choose to dope-up.
Campbell has a long and prolific history of being a sporting athlete himself. In the past, he was a well-known world-class sprinter and was commonly referred to as the fastest white man on earth. He represented Team GB in both the 200 and 400-meter relays at the summer Olympic games, which were hosted in Tokyo in 1964. One 2 occasions he beat his personal bests in both the 100 meters, which is 10.2 seconds. In one of those races, he out-performed O.J Simpson and held the title for the British record for 7 years between 67 – 74. He himself has had to deny using anabolic steroids during his sporting career and stated that steroids didn’t even enter the realm of the sporting world until toward the end of his career.
He stated that he has no skeletons hiding away in his closet and that he never used drugs because as an athlete, he wouldn’t. As he was going out, steroids were just coming in. For now, the laws will remain as they are, but in the fututre, the face of steroid use in the UK could change.
