What is the first thing that goes through your head when you think of steroids? Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, or Greg Valentino? Maybe “cheating” comes to mind. You might think of the hideous backne or the infamous “roid rage” that comes along with steroid use. Steroids have always been given a bad reputation as a “dangerous” and “unfair” drug because every couple of years a famous and successful athlete gets caught using them and the media butchers steroids’ reputation. I believe that because of this bad reputation as being a “deadly” and “cheater” drug, steroids are unjustly represented and thus categorized as a schedule III drug and should be treated as any other legal drug. I am here today to clear the air about steroids and tell the truth behind the side effects, the “cheating” aspect, and why the government’s current stance on steroids needs to be changed. Now, not all of us are gym rats or maybe not even watch sports, but as an athlete and an avid fan of sports, it’s safe to say that I know a little bit about steroids. For those of you who don’t, that’s ok, I’m going to give you a brief explanation of what steroids are so that you can follow what I am saying. Steroids are synthetic versions of hormones that your body naturally produces and can be taken orally or through injection. The illegal steroids I was talking about are anabolic steroids, such as testosterone or HGH. These chemicals are derived from the male sex hormones and tell your body to increase muscle size and strength and help you recover from workouts faster. But these aren’t the only kind of steroids. There are many types of steroids, however, that are legal and have more dangerous side effects, such as cortical steroids and birth control pills that contain progesterone and estrogen. Steroids are everywhere in society whether you know it or not, and all pose certain risks if you decide to take them. Now, here’s a list of side effects of one of the steroids I presented and you tell me if it sounds dangerous. Well that was for birth control pills. So why are these steroids legal and the others not? Because, Austin, they are more dangerous! Of course! A drug so dangerous must kill thousands every year. According to the CDC, tobacc