The Wire

Elite young sportspeople are not immune to the temptation of performance enhancing drugs. With the increasing perception that elite athletes are using drugs to get an edge on the competition, kids as young as twelve are being encouraged by their coaches and parents to go to extremes to stand out from the crowd. A three-year longitudinal study by researchers from the University of Canberra and Griffith University showed results of interviews with more than 900 young athletes. The results show an increase in performance enhancing drug use in youth development sports.