With Covid-19 (rightly) taking people’s attention, one recent article on the BBC tended to take a somewhat low profile. An article detailing steroid usage among young teenage rugby players was concerning, but not of any surprise.
We live in times where what was on the edges of society once is now mainstream – if not mainstream, few seem to raise an eyebrow. Whilst I do recall seeing one of the Minogue sisters (“Neighbours” was filmed just up the road) when I first started working and working out at John Driver’s Gym in Forest Hills, Melbourne; I don’t recall seeing anyone juice (take steroids).
It was obvious that the people featured in Muscle magazines of the time didn’t get like that from protein shakes and hard work alone, I didn’t personally come across anabolic agents nor see anyone use – but this was the early to mid-80s and Creatine was yet to be.
It wasn‘t until around 10 years later that Creatine was commercially available, be it for circa Aus$100 per 100g. Sure, some fellow “builders” seemed a little too old for acne and a little too big for the time that they had in the gym, I still didn’t personally see anyone spike nor admit that they did.
Fast forward to the early 2000s and walking into a builders gym in Macclesfield for the first time, I was greeted with a warm welcome and an open bag containing modestly priced vials said to be (among many) the often liver-toxic D-Ball (Dianabol / Methandrostenolone) and Deca (Deca-Durabolin)… much cheaper than the first commercially available Creatine – and by the size of the two chaps spiking in the change room in Dave’s Gym – much better results!
I recall looking at one of the 5ml vials and seeing a red text on a white label and not recognising the characters nor seeing any of the usual batch codes, dates, etc that comes with most pharmaceutical grade products that I have seen.
The slightly viscous, brown/yellow liquid within one of the vials left wondering what it actually was and where it was made (despite Dave’s assurances that it was top grade and from a good source – curious how Dave would know that??).
I politely declined as I’ve never been personally interested in taking steroids – apart from not liking needles, I just find the thought of injecting something of which there is no quality standard a leap of faith I’d never be willing to take…and that I have “remarkably average” genetics (same for athletic ability) so it would serve no overall purpose other than vanity.
I also think that injecting such things runs counter to personal fitness and health – a contradiction many seem not to have. My curiosity towards the origins of the many things claiming to be anabolic agents remains and each time I see someone else spiking themselves, I can’t help to wonder how confident they can or should be towards what they are putting into their bodies?
Having returned to the Pharmaceuticals industry after over a decade in the Oil and Energy sector it is interesting to reflect upon the differences of engineering focused upon Inherently Safe Design driven process and environmental safety (as it is in the Oil industry), to one that is primarily focused upon patient / user safety (as is the Pharmaceuticals industry).
Where as the UK O&G sector had the disaster (among others and sadly many across the globe) of Piper Alpha, the Pharmaceuticals sector has put in place many safeguards and processed following the tragic and disastrous consequences of Thalidomide existing in two mirror-image forms (R and S enantiomers).
The unseen amount of work and validation that goes on behind the scenes by many dedicated individuals in getting any Pharmaceutical product from the laboratory to consumer is astonishing – likewise the licensing process for any new drug substance or medical device.
This level of detail allows a commercially available product to be traced back to the batch it came from, and from there extensive details about how/when it was made and all of the process and material critical conditions associated with its manufacture.
Furthermore, product development and previous manufacturing records are kept on file for audit and scrutiny. Anyone who questions why/how pharmaceuticals are priced as they are need to consider the vast volume of science, research, product development, clinical trials, auditing, data recording, validation and engineering/production assurance that has to be undertaken and maintained for such products.
This doesn’t stop once a product goes to market, but continues throughout the lifetime of the drug’s patent. This also part-explains why products can’t be rushed to market, irrespective of the public’s demand.
I recently noted a sign on an office wall a Pharmaceutical plant building that said something like “Patient safety is your responsibility”. That’s so true of the belief many people I have met who work in the healthcare industry and why such people are of so much value to us – never more so than the times we live in now with Covid-19. We owe these people a great debt.
“The primary focus of that particular industry would be profit before patient safety and health”
One can only speculate as to whether this same focus is given to the many products being consumed by the teenage rugby players as mentioned in the BBC article above?
I have no visibility of that clandestine industry, however would imagine that the primary focus of that particular industry would be profit before patient safety and health?
I’d expect that most large Pharmaceuticals companies also have a focus upon profitability, however many re-invest this profit into further product development and science whilst maintaining this focus on end-user well-being.
Same can be said for the licensing authorities and regulators and health care workers who work so hard to prevent another Thalidomide. Not sure this is true of the people supplying “products” to teenage rugby players or offering Covid-19 products over the internet in more recent times.
One should also question the many Covid-19 products and PPE being offered on the internet.
Do consumers know its origins and product standards associated with such products?
Are their claims based in science or pseudo-science?
Seems odd for some to be concerned about the block-chain of the coffee they drink, but not what they put into themselves or trust their personal safety with?!
It is also curious that some people are swayed by internet “influencers” with little or no (apparent) scientific knowledge or experience over professionals in the health care industry. “Snake oil” sales aren’t a new thing, yet they seem to remain a constant thing.
