Images of toned male physiques in advertising and the media could be driving thousands of teenage boys and young men to risk their health by using anabolic steroids, according to a leading drug expert.

Martin Barnes, the chief executive of DrugScope, which compiles an annual survey of drug usage in Britain, said that the problem had become more marked in the past few years.

He said that up to 100,000 people were using anabolic steroids. Many were young people who might be reacting to the increase in daily life in images of muscled male bodies.

“Women have had this pressure for decades,” he said. “It’s certainly the case that idealised body images for young men are reflected much more in the media now and some people have expressed concern that this increase \ is reflecting that trend.”

As with eating disorders linked to the effect that images of thin models and celebrities have on young women, the risks of steroid abuse are both physical and psychological.

“People can become pyschologically dependent on using steroids. Self-esteem can be a factor,” Mr Barnes said.

The physical dangers include liver and kidney damage, high cholesterol and strokes as well as acne, mood swings and a reduced sperm count.

Jim McVeigh of Liverpool John Moores University told the BBC yesterday that the real number of users was double the official estimate of 42,000 regular users logged in the British Crime Survey.

“Basically we are looking at numbers being on a par with heroin users,” he said. “At any one time in Liverpool there are approximately 1,000 anabolic steroid users — nationally we’re looking at over 100,000.”

Mr Barnes said that this figure was “about the best evidence we have right now”.

He added: “We need to try to get a much better idea [of the number of users] and more evidence of the potential harm. The [current scientific] evidence is based on people using them for medical purposes, but many of the young people using them are taking much larger amounts. We could be underestimating the impact.”

Anabolic steroids are defined as prescription-only drugs under the Medicines Act. Possession for personal use is not illegal but supplying steroids can lead to up to 14 years in jail and a fine.

In 2006 the DrugScope survey suggested that the drugs had now become “mainstream”. Campaigners have called for gyms and health clubs to take greater responsibility for the problem and provide information about the risks of steroid misuse.

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