Does the criminal prosecution approach to the anabolic steroid problem work?
It depends whom one asks. Law enforcement authorities and proponents of criminalization contend that stiff penalties help deter trafficking, and that the strict controls associated with controlled substance status prevent pharmaceutical companies from manufacturing more product than could be legitimately used for FDA approved purposes. The Control Act addresses the diversion problem by the triplicate “paper trail” that is associated with controlled substances. But while the paper trail requirements have reduced the amount of legitimate steroids diverted to athletes, they have helped foster a booming counterfeit trade where underground labs make and label steroid products to mimic legitimate pharmaceuticals. These products completely bypass the Control Act’s paper trail. In a 1990 statement to Congress, Department of Justice officials estimated the black market to be a 300 million-dollar per year industry. Today the black market is estimated to be bigger than ever, at more than 400 mill
