ISLAMABAD, July 19: Some gyms and bodybuilding clubs in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are prescribing steroids and performance-enhancing drugs to their aspiring young clients, resulting in addiction, health hazards and deaths.

During background interviews people in the business revealed to Dawn that the steroids being used are mostly home- made concoctions - desi muqawi adwiyat - produced in unhygienic conditions in Lahore and Gujranwala by quacks. Usually a drug costs Rs800-1000, but is sold to a potential client for Rs3,000-35,000 during a four to six months course of medication.

There are some 70 registered gyms in the twin cities. Usually those gyms sell or prescribe steroids which do not make enough money from the nominal monthly fee of Rs100-200 they charge their clients.

Apart from the local products, steroids from Iran, India, Afghanistan and western countries are also in vogue. Decca Durran, Dexamathasoin, Deiltacotil, Testosterone, Primabolan, Winstrol etc. are some of commonly used drugs of foreign origin.

“Lahore is the hub of steroids. If there are 100,000 people going to gyms, 95,000 of them are surely using steroids”, claims Ahmed Sadiq, who had won Mr World title in Spain.

Drug users are kicked out from international bodybuilding competitions but at home they not only participate in such events but also win titles. “It is because there is not a single dope- test laboratory in the country. A test abroad costs nearly $300, which is not affordable for the Pakistani organisers”, Mr Sadiq said.

Air Commodore (retired) Naunehal Shah, former secretary- general Pakistan Skating Federation, said: “To use a performance enhancing drug is unethical and globally illegal. The sports culture doesn’t allow it.

“In the constitution of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) drugs are banned. Pakistan being a member can’t allow them in any sport.”

According to Dr M. Sharief Astori, Polyclinic Hospital, steroids are basically lifesaving drugs but excessive use makes them killers.

“Steroids can cause toxic and hormone-induced side effects, liver cancer, low-sperm-count, growth of breasts and bone damage,” he said.

Umar Yousaf, a gym owner and secretary-general of Pakistan Amateur Body Builder’s Guilds, disclosed that an Islamabad based gym-owner’s heart has increased in size after using steroids, while a local politician’s son got liver and kidney infections, and a famous restaurant owner’s brother developed steroid- syndrome.

Haris Akram, a young bodybuilding enthusiast, is very upset at the drug abuse in the gym-culture. “It should be the aim of every gym and bodybuilding club to produce healthy generations, not weaklings and drug-addicts,” he said.

Advocate Mumtaz Ahmed says that under the Pakistan Penal Code using drugs is banned and the punishment for it ranges from seven years to life imprisonment.

However, Noman Shah, chairman Pakistan Amateur Body Builders Guilds, believes that the law in this case is not clear to stop the menace of steroid-syndrome.

“The alarming situation of steroids can be controlled if the government makes a law to make it necessary for every chemist/druggist to appoint a doctor on duty at every store so that only prescribed drugs are issued. That is the way in many countries. But unfortunately our chemists and druggists are making huge profit at the cost of our national health,” he added.

Medical experts and social scientists are predicting a great dilemma facing Pakistan ahead. The gym-owners, bodybuilders and social workers need the help of the government in this regard.

Fake drugs and their abuses are making the nation hallow body without spirit.—Habib R. Sulemani