Amazon.com as a Steroid Source?

Despite a tightening of the laws governing the sale of anabolic steroids and efforts by federal agencies to enforce laws regarding adulterated dietary supplements, products containing powerful oral steroids were recently purchased easily through Amazon.com. Amy Shipley, a staff writer with The Washington Post, reported how execs from Anti-Doping Research ordered dietary supplements from the consumer website, and found in lab tests that several products contained significant" quantities of steroids.

Shipley reported Anti-Doping Research ordered eight to 10 products, and found three of four tested thus far were adulterated. In addition, there were no health warnings related to the use of the sports products, and no ordering restrictions including age verification. All but one of the products was purchased through a different seller and not shipped directly from Amazon.

The manufacturer of three products found in tests conducted by Anti-Doping Research, Competitive Edge Labs, said in a statement on its website that the three products cited were discontinued from sale more than a year ago.

While the inclusion of steroids in dietary supplements is illegal, adulteration of sports nutrition products has been noted by FDA. Shipley quoted Siobhan DeLancey, an FDA spokeswoman, as stating: "We have been doing surveillance on these types of products for many years. We're dealing with people who are really operating outside the law. They don't have a real incentive to comply with our regulations. They are just trying to move products."