Below is a news release on a policy statement appearing in the April issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For Release: April 4, 2005, 12:01 am (ET)

CHICAGO - The temptation to use performance-enhancing drugs and supplements as a shortcut to improving athletic performance is seductive to adolescents. In some cases, kids are pressured by parents, coaches and peers to train harder and use such substances to improve their performance.

Although use of performance-enhancing substances is widespread, and covers dietary supplements, prescription medications and illicit drugs, virtually no data are available on the efficacy and safety of their use in children and adolescents. A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) entitled "Use of Performance-Enhancing Substances" condemns their use and vigorously endorses efforts to eliminate their use among children and adolescents.

Pediatricians who counsel young athletes know the allure that performance-enhancing substances have. The policy admits that attempts to discourage use through scare tactics or by dismissing known performance-enhancing effects of these substances may seriously damage the credibility of the pediatrician and do little to diminish use. To assist the pediatrician in addressing users or potential users, the policy offers the following recommendations:

• Schools should take a strong stand against the use of performance-enhancing substances and incorporate the message into educational materials for coaches, parents and athletes.
• Coaches at all levels should encourage wholesome and fair competition by emphasizing healthy nutrition and training practices, taking a tough stance against cheating and avoiding "win-at-all-costs" thinking.
• Athletes who admit using performance-enhancing substances should be provided unbiased medical information about benefits, known adverse effects, and other risks.
• Interventions for encouraging substance-free competition should be developed that are more positive than punitive, such as programs that teach sound nutrition and training practices, along with skills to resist the social pressures to use performance-enhancing substances.
• Pediatric health care professionals should promote safe physical activity and sports participation by providing or making available sound medical information on exercise physiology, conditioning, nutrition, weight management, and injury prevention and by helping to care for sports-related medical conditions and injuries.

The intent of the statement is not to provide a review of the currently available data on performance-enhancing substances. It is intended to convey a more general policy from the AAP based on the following three points:

1. The intentional use of performance enhancement is unfair, and therefore morally and ethically indefensible.
2. The use of any substance for the purpose of enhancing sports performance, the composition and quality of which are not under federal regulation, may pose a significant health risk to a young person.
3. The use and promotion of performance-enhancing substances tends to devalue the principles of a balanced diet, good coaching and sound physical training.
   

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.