Do Steroids Promote Abuse?
There are issues that can be raised with this study. First, by being funded by the NIH and NIDA, one has to wonder about objectivity. The article in Monitor on Psychology not only alluded to, but also stated that the study assumed anabolic steroids were rewarding drugs. The NIH and NIDA gain federal funding and distribute research dollars to combat drug abuse, not prove safety. To discover or Reveal that some or all anabolic steroids aren’t classical drugs of abuse or addictive puts the previous two decades of action in question. If a study’s funding came from a company who would profit from positive findings, the results and study would be questioned. Is it any different with a government agency?16-18 The study’s discussion, where the authors attempt to explain the significance of their findings, includes certain assumptions, but neglects to consider other factors. The primary conclusion is that injectable steroids may be more reinforcing than orally active steroids. Note the authors
