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Report aims to decrease illegal steroid sales online
At least 156 Web sites selling anabolic steroids without the necessary prescription are run through domain name registrars in the U.S., according to a report released Monday.
by Kathleen Thurber
Midland Reporter-Telegram
At least 156 Web sites selling anabolic steroids without the necessary prescription are run through domain name registrars in the U.S., according to a report released Monday.
And though national and state surveys show the use of such substances among teens is down to around 2 percent, officials say for those who are looking, obtaining steroids is as simple as clicking a mouse.
"It shouldn't be this easy to run a fake pharmacy," said Garth Bruen, co-author of the report who runs a Web site that helps control Internet criminality.
He and John Horton, who runs the online pharmacy verification service LegitScript.com, have been researching Web sites for several months trying to sift out those who legally sell steroids and prescriptions drugs and those who do not.
Through their study, they found thousands of Web sites selling pharmaceuticals and steroids without requiring a prescription. They've classified their findings so consumers can check out a Web site before purchasing needed prescriptions and currently are focusing on shutting down the 156 Web sites they found that are selling steroids from foreign countries, but are registered with U.S.-based domain registrars and are therefore subject to U.S. laws.
When users open a Web site, Horton said, they essentially buy the rights to run it through registrars and when doing so with a U.S. registrar, they have to sign contracts stating that the Web site will not engage in any illegal activity.
Because most registrars have contracts with thousands of sites, it's nearly impossible to police every Web site, said Horton, who is also a former White House adviser on pharmaceuticals. But, he said, once registrars learn one of their clients is using a Web site for illegal purposes, it becomes their responsibility to shut them down -- something they've yet to do with the sites identified in their report.
"We believe and hope that the registrars want to do the right thing," he said. "They still have the opportunity to take the Web site down."
Until that happens, though, or if that action fails to materialize, they say they want parents and teens to be aware of the accessibility of these substances and the dangers in utilizing illegitimate online pharmacies.
"We're hoping to make an impact on the Internet community, on law enforcement and on individuals who might use them," Bruen said, adding that both sites have worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies.
Anabolic steroids, which are considered synthetic substances that use testosterone to promote the growth of skeletal muscles and male sex characteristics, can lead to everything from irregular body development to more severe things such as infertility, high blood pressure and liver cancer if used improperly, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Anabolic steroids, which are considered synthetic substances that use testosterone to promote the growth of skeletal muscles and male sex characteristics, can lead to everything from irregular body development to more severe things such as infertility, high blood pressure and liver cancer if used improperly, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Even if users escape these and other side effects, the report states, many are putting themselves at additional risks as some online pharmacies will say they're shipping a specific steroid and ship something else or they'll take orders and after securing payment, never send the drug.
"The consumer is not being protected properly on the Internet," Bruen said.
Researchers did not order steroids from the Web sites, but went through the process of placing an order without a prescription and received e-mails asking for payment and detailing what they would need to do to have the substances shipped. None asked for identification and none tried to verify their age, the report states.
But, Bruen said, because the small percentage of users tend to order regularly, the Web sites continue to bring in large profits.
About 2 percent of all secondary students have used steroids, according to a 2006 Texas School Survey, and though use is higher than that among boys, overall usage has declined in recent years.
Local coaches said with UIL requirements students regularly are educated about the consequences of steroid use, and it doesn't seem to be an issue among most local teens.
Of the 10,000 high school athletes tested for steroid use in Texas this spring, only two tested positive, according to UIL reports.
Still, authors of the report say, for the minority who are using steroids, parents need to be aware of the ease with which they can obtain steroids, especially as school and fall sports start in coming weeks.
The DEA is working to shut down domestic online pharmacies and has made headway in recent years, officials said, but because many sites -- like these found in the report -- are operated internationally, it's difficult to control.
Bruen and Horton said they hope by increasing awareness of these sites, the domain registrars will be pressured to shut them down and that their information might be useful to law enforcement who are looking to do the same.
"The notion that we can't do anything about these rogue Web sites is false," Horton said. "We can do something about it and the first step is for the domain registrars to take them down."
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.
On the Net:
To check out the legitimacy of an online pharmacy visit either:
www.tsbp.state.tx.us or legitscript.com.
And though national and state surveys show the use of such substances among teens is down to around 2 percent, officials say for those who are looking, obtaining steroids is as simple as clicking a mouse.
"It shouldn't be this easy to run a fake pharmacy," said Garth Bruen, co-author of the report who runs a Web site that helps control Internet criminality.
He and John Horton, who runs the online pharmacy verification service LegitScript.com, have been researching Web sites for several months trying to sift out those who legally sell steroids and prescriptions drugs and those who do not.
Through their study, they found thousands of Web sites selling pharmaceuticals and steroids without requiring a prescription. They've classified their findings so consumers can check out a Web site before purchasing needed prescriptions and currently are focusing on shutting down the 156 Web sites they found that are selling steroids from foreign countries, but are registered with U.S.-based domain registrars and are therefore subject to U.S. laws.
When users open a Web site, Horton said, they essentially buy the rights to run it through registrars and when doing so with a U.S. registrar, they have to sign contracts stating that the Web site will not engage in any illegal activity.
Because most registrars have contracts with thousands of sites, it's nearly impossible to police every Web site, said Horton, who is also a former White House adviser on pharmaceuticals. But, he said, once registrars learn one of their clients is using a Web site for illegal purposes, it becomes their responsibility to shut them down -- something they've yet to do with the sites identified in their report.
"We believe and hope that the registrars want to do the right thing," he said. "They still have the opportunity to take the Web site down."
Until that happens, though, or if that action fails to materialize, they say they want parents and teens to be aware of the accessibility of these substances and the dangers in utilizing illegitimate online pharmacies.
"We're hoping to make an impact on the Internet community, on law enforcement and on individuals who might use them," Bruen said, adding that both sites have worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies.
Anabolic steroids, which are considered synthetic substances that use testosterone to promote the growth of skeletal muscles and male sex characteristics, can lead to everything from irregular body development to more severe things such as infertility, high blood pressure and liver cancer if used improperly, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Anabolic steroids, which are considered synthetic substances that use testosterone to promote the growth of skeletal muscles and male sex characteristics, can lead to everything from irregular body development to more severe things such as infertility, high blood pressure and liver cancer if used improperly, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Even if users escape these and other side effects, the report states, many are putting themselves at additional risks as some online pharmacies will say they're shipping a specific steroid and ship something else or they'll take orders and after securing payment, never send the drug.
"The consumer is not being protected properly on the Internet," Bruen said.
Researchers did not order steroids from the Web sites, but went through the process of placing an order without a prescription and received e-mails asking for payment and detailing what they would need to do to have the substances shipped. None asked for identification and none tried to verify their age, the report states.
But, Bruen said, because the small percentage of users tend to order regularly, the Web sites continue to bring in large profits.
About 2 percent of all secondary students have used steroids, according to a 2006 Texas School Survey, and though use is higher than that among boys, overall usage has declined in recent years.
Local coaches said with UIL requirements students regularly are educated about the consequences of steroid use, and it doesn't seem to be an issue among most local teens.
Of the 10,000 high school athletes tested for steroid use in Texas this spring, only two tested positive, according to UIL reports.
Still, authors of the report say, for the minority who are using steroids, parents need to be aware of the ease with which they can obtain steroids, especially as school and fall sports start in coming weeks.
The DEA is working to shut down domestic online pharmacies and has made headway in recent years, officials said, but because many sites -- like these found in the report -- are operated internationally, it's difficult to control.
Bruen and Horton said they hope by increasing awareness of these sites, the domain registrars will be pressured to shut them down and that their information might be useful to law enforcement who are looking to do the same.
"The notion that we can't do anything about these rogue Web sites is false," Horton said. "We can do something about it and the first step is for the domain registrars to take them down."
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.
On the Net:
To check out the legitimacy of an online pharmacy visit either:
www.tsbp.state.tx.us or legitscript.com.
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