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Performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDS): reasons, risks and responses
Paul Dillon, Information/Media Liaison Manager, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney
Abstract
Reports of an increase in the use and abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) for athletic and aesthetic purposes are a continuing topic of concern for health professionals and the general community. Although elite sportspeople and their use of these drugs are often the focus of media stories, it is believed that they make up a small percentage of the total AAS using population. Body image users, security staff and other occupational users, gay men, and adolescents are just some of the other groups that are also believed to use AAS and a range of other image and performance enhancing substances, such as Human Growth Hormone (HGH), IGF-1 and EPO. Little is known about the use of these substances, collectively referred to as Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs), by these groups.
This presentation will examine a range of PIEDs and their use by non-elite sportspeople. The perceived benefits and the possible risks associated with each of the drugs will be looked at, as well as results from a number of recent studies of PIEDs users in Australia.
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Biography
Paul Dillon is currently employed as the Information/Media Liaison Manager at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Sydney where his key role is to disseminate research findings to policy makers, drug and alcohol workers and the general public. He has been contracted by many agencies and organisations across the country to give regular updates on current drug trends within the community and is the official media spokesperson for NDARC.
Paul has spoken at many conferences both in Australia and internationally on a variety of topics. In the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics Paul worked with the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) to develop training programs for coaches around athletes and responsible partying. Since that time he has worked with a number of sporting organizations including the Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) and Football Federation Australia (FFA) to deliver training to players around alcohol and other drug safety, as well as to assist in the development of alcohol policies for the respective sports. He has had many media interviews on the subject of drug culture and "street drugs". His current areas of interest are drug education, youth issues and the ecstasy/dance party culture.
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