The Story of Steroids; Analyzing the Process and Results of ‎Penal Strictness Regarding Anabolic Steroids

In this article, we have two main goals. First, we examine why steroids, which are part of the daily consumption plan of many people in modern life, have been considered the same as narcotics and psychotropic drugs such as opium, methamphetamines, etc., and in an apparently unpredictable process, criminal control is considered necessary for them. As a result, our problem is to examine the process that has turned steroids into dangerous drugs for health and well-being; A process that has caused the policy makers to pay attention to the concerns of the sports authorities, and in line with this, to resolve the concern of the strictness of the punishment for steroids. Although evaulation studies show that strict policies have never been effective and even have many unwanted consequences for public health and criminal justice resources. The second goal is determined in the context of evidence based policies, based on which, the question is whether the results of criminology research support the claims of policymakers in this field and what judgment they provide about the criminal strictnessIn this research, using the analytical descriptive method, we intend to explain the process of criminal strictness regarding steroids and its results. For this reason, we will use the content analysis of the laws to examine the components of criminal strictness and the results of evaluation studies.The criminal laws related to steroids in different countries indicated the strictness. The views of public health advocates and those who criticized steroids for the spread of organized crime and the existence of a black market played a decisive role in supporting the development of criminalization approach and in fact created the space for the implementation of strict plans and programs to control steroids. But the real starting point of the steroid story is the media and politics. They create fears, threats, and realities in a hidden process, and put forward their trivial but urgent and politicized solution. While, as we show in the last section, these solutions have long been discredited following the disappointing results of effectiveness studies. now we are witnessing the introduction of legalization at least in relation to cannabis. Considering the lack of effectiveness of substance control policies, we will examine the consequences of stricter penalties regarding steroids.The study of Iran's criminal justice system shows that whenever issues are recognized as problems, policy makers choose strict policies, and therefore we can predict that the situation of steroids will become stricter than in the past. If we know what factors have been effective in making demands for stricter punishment in this field and what results have followed so far, we can learn the way to manage steroids properly. Currently, legalization (both medical and recreational) is the main stream of policy regarding drugs and low-risk substances. But steroids are subject to new strict policies and this is not justifiable. Finally, the steroid control stream continues to favor the elimination policy, which is not in accordance with scientific standards. Finally, the fate of steroids will be in the hands of public health to regulate the use of steroids with policies to reduce harm and strengthen awareness campaigns.