DEA Announces Wide-Ranging Steroid Busts

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

DEA Announces Wide-Ranging Steroid Busts

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press Writer

Monday, September 24, 2007

(09-24) 11:38 PDT Providence, R.I. (AP) --

Authorities arrested more than 120 people and uncovered
dozens of steroid labs in an international investigation into
the illicit trade of performance-enhancing drugs, federal
officials announced Monday.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said the investigation,
dubbed Operation Raw Deal, was assisted by governments
of nine other countries, including China.

In the U.S., agents seized 56 labs that manufactured
anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, the DEA said.
Agents seized 11.4 million doses of drugs in all.

-snip-

A federal grand jury in Rhode Island indicted Genescience
Pharmaceutical Co. and its CEO, Lei Jin, last week on
charges including money laundering and conspiracy to
facilitate the sale of smuggled goods. Lin is accused of
marketing the drugs, under the brand name Jinotropin,
through e-mail and Web sites.

-snip-

Read more: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/24/national/w073110D79.DTL

[Warpy]

1. It's nice to see those thugs going after something dangerous

for a change. The world would be a better place without roid rage and shriveled balls.

Plus, those aren't bathtub drugs. Interdiction has a chance of working.

[kestrel91316]

2. I wish the media would specify that the bad drugs are "sex steroids"

aka "anabolic steroids" and NOT "adrenocortical steroids"(those related to cortisone). I have to battle against this fear every time I want to prescribe predisolone for my feline patients. People are SO scared they automatically say "NO!!! You're NOT GIVING MY CAT STEROIDS!!!!!" when they have no idea what the different classes of drugs are about. And they almost won't listen to my explanation of how pred is a totally different drug and when used correctly has virtually no side effects of concern in cats.

Edited for moronic spelling error, lol

[kirby]

3. What is the difference

between predisolone and prednisone? My dog is on prednisone long term for allergies.

[kestrel91316]

4. Small chemical difference. Prednisone has to be converted to

prednisolone by the liver in order to be biologically active. That's why prednisolone is the drug of choice for me. That way, any patient I put on it who might have any liver dysfunction will still be able to benefit from the drug.

[jberryhill]

5. How Wide Ranging Do Steroids Make Those Busts?

I had no idea steroids were being used for that.