Bigger steps needed to end steroid use, By: Chris Walsh

Recently the National Football League and its players’ union agreed to increase testing for performance-enhancing drugs, but also came up with something new.

Specifically, anyone suspended after testing positive will forfeit a portion of his signing bonuses in addition to the salary loss for time missed.

There should be two reactions to this latest move, which took months to negotiate:

1) Good.

2) What is it going to take for this country to get serious about steroids?

Check some of the headlines from the past few weeks.

The primary issue in baseball’s Hall of Fame voting was Mark McGwire, even though no one has ever proved that he took anything illegal. Meanwhile, Barry Bonds’ on-again, off-again contract with the San Francisco Giants is finally done, one year, $15.8 million.

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was up for NFL defensive MVP honors even after testing positive and missing four games. From now on, players who fail the substance abuse policy will be banned from the Pro Bowl.

George Mitchell warned baseball that lack of cooperation with his investigation into steroid use will “significantly increase" the chances of governmental involvement.

What are they waiting for?

Probably more outcry.

Like the outcry that didn’t occur last year when prosecutors said they suspected linebacker Steve Foley was on steroids when he was shot three times by an off-duty police officer (the blood test also showed his blood alcohol level to be .233 percent).

Or in 2005 after the Charlotte Observer reported details of six NFL players filling steroid prescriptions, including three starting offensive linemen from Carolina’s 2004 Super Bowl team -- what the chairman of a congressional committee probing doping called “the tip of the iceberg."

Or in college football, like in 1988 when a South Carolina player told Sports Illustrated as many as half of his teammates used steroids.

One obvious problem with performance-enhancing drugs is that we still don’t know their long-term effects. Even if an athlete has a stroke or heart attack at a young age, it’s impossible to make wide-ranging conclusions.

For example, although former football player Lyle Alzado believed steroids caused his brain tumor (which killed him at age 43), there’s no medical evidence to back it up or that steroids cause cancer.

However, a more common-sense approach is enough to make the point. Try searching the Internet for “pro wrestlers" “steroids" and “dead" and see what you find.

What is known is that steroid users/abusers are vulnerable to more than 70 physical and psychological side effects, many of which are irreversible.

The most serious consequences are to the liver along with the cardiovascular and reproductive systems.

Additionally, steroid abuse in young adults can interfere with bone growth and lead to permanently stunted growth.

That’s crucial because Blue Cross Blue Shield estimates that nearly one million youths (ages 12-17) in the U.S. are using steroids and other substances to improve their sports performance. The numbers were based on a survey taken in 2001, so who knows how many it could be up to now.

A common argument is that there’s so much at stake how can people blame athletes for the “take now and pay later" mentality.

We must, especially considering the money all comes from us, with every ticket purchase and even something like paying the cable bill.

Congratulations to the NFL and the players for taking another step. Now do more.