Practically every anti-steroid article will include a litany of possible side effects from anabolic steroids, real, overstated, exaggerated, and imagined. But at least they are usually identified as possible or potential side effects that may occur with steroid use. Nowadays, writers are stating the side effects with a greater degree of certainty as to the inevitability of steroid dangers. For example, an article in the Texas A&M newspaper, the Battalion, picks some unlikely steroid side effects and informs readers that steroid users can expect these problems if they use steroids (”Steroid debate: Aggies sound off on performance enhancers,” April 10).

However, the advantage one might gain from the use of steroids is offset by the side effects. Along with psychiatric problems, users can expect cardiovascular and liver damage.

Anti-steroid efforts often involve false, exaggerated, or overstated steroid side effects; these tend to have little credibility anyway. Unfortunately, many people are not only more comfortable making such claims, they are more comfortable asserting the certainty of such unlikely claims.