In a typical kneejerk reaction by Congress, it appears that they are on the verge of expanding the Controlled Substances Act to include non-addictive human growth hormone. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sponsored the legislation in response to the Mitchell Report’s on performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids and growth hormone in Major League Baseball. The Senators misguided efforts are an attempt to make an example of athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs since they are role models for children. Essentially, the goal of the bill is to protect the children.
“The real tragedy of the Mitchell Report is that it shows how easy it is to beat the system,” Schumer said. “The majority of players named in the report are accused of taking human growth hormone, a drug for which there is currently no reliable test. We have to do everything we can to keep dangerous substances out of young hands. Together, these two bills are a big step in that direction.”
“These bills are a good step at getting at some of the issues we are seeing as athletes of all ages use performance enhancing drugs,” Grassley said. “I’m hopeful that the sports industry will heed the wake up call and do something to deal with this problem. Professional sports figures need to realize that they are role models. It’s time they shape up—without the drugs.”
Ironically, the MAGIC Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to “providing support services to the families of children afflicted with chronic and critical disorders, syndromes, and diseases that affect their growth” is working very hard to make sure that this bill is NOT passed.
Growth hormone is erroneously perceived as a drug used exclusively for physical gain. Growth hormone deficient children need growth hormone to maintain a healthy heart, immune system, and much more other than physical growth.
We ask Congress to vote NO on Senate Bill S877/House Bill 4911 as it currently stands. Provisions must be made to protect children who will be affected. If passed, this bill will be detrimental to children’s health…
It would be unconscionable for Congress to move this legislation without taking into consideration its impact on the families of affected children.
Of course, the grandstanding in Congress over the issue of performance-enhancing drugs has never really been about saving the children.
Please consider signing the petition on the Magic Foundation website to encourage legislators to rewrite the proposed bill to truly reflect the interests of children.
5 Responses to “Human Growth Hormone Legislation Could Harm Children”
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Eric on March 6th, 2008 at 9:01 pmThanks for the bit on the petition. I just went and signed it. Keep up the good fight.
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Unintended Consequences of Federal War on Pro Athletes Using Anabolic Steroids | Steroid Report on March 8th, 2008 at 5:34 pm[...] the children) increasingly appears to have unintended consequences that ironically may have the opposite effect. This is starting to become apparent with the reallocation of limited federal resources away from [...]
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HGH Bill Would Increase Costs and Limited Availability of Medical Treatment for Children | Steroid Report on March 17th, 2008 at 4:54 pm[...] likelihood that growth hormone would be more expensive and more difficult to obtain for parents of children with growth-related disorders as a result of a Congressional bill that would reclassify human growth hormone as a controlled [...]
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Impact of Steroid Hysteria on Medical Treatments Involving HGH and Steroids | Steroid Report on March 17th, 2008 at 5:06 pm[...] Baker | Add Your Comments The steroid hysteria related to steroids in sports continues to have an adverse impact of the availability of anabolic-androgenic steroids and human growth hormone for legal use in [...]
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Growth Hormone Will Not Be Added to Controlled Substances List | Steroid Report on April 16th, 2008 at 3:33 pm[...] and surprisingly, the Sen. Schumer and Sen. Grassley rationally examined the evidence of the adverse consequences, particularly for children, of making HGH a Scheduled-III controlled [...]
