ANDROSTENEDIONE: Groups Ask Ball Players to Halt Use
The Boys and Girls Club of America along with Blue Cross and Blue Shield yesterday challenged major league baseball players to abstain from the use of androstenedione, the Washington Times reports. The two organizations sent letters to Major League Baseball, the players association and a selected list of players, asking them to pledge to stop taking the performance-enhancing drugs. Allan Korn, chief medical officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, said, "Players have a responsibility to our young fans to set the right example." Pointing to a baseball-commissioned Harvard study that found that "andro," the dietary supplement used by home run king Mark McGwire, raises testosterone levels and could potentially be a health hazard, Korn said, "All the evidence indicates that these substances can be harmful to our bodies. Kids need to start hearing from their sports heroes that there is no substitute for hard work and dedication." In his response, baseball commissioner Bud Selig said, "It remains a priority of Major League Baseball to deal effectively with the issues surrounding the use of steroids, androstenedione and similar substances" (3/27).
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