Many steroid dealers have tried to use social media such as Facebook to increase sales of anabolic steroids. Sky News decided to single out one British bodybuilder who they claim sells anabolic steroids on Facebook. They provided screenshots of his Facebook status indicating the he is promoting the sale of items such as “Human growth hormone £150” and “Melantan 2 tanning injections £25”. The problem with the story “Raoul Moat Gym Pal ‘Sells Steroids Online‘” is that it is inaccurate and misleading. The “investigative team” at Sky News does not seem to realize that human growth hormone (hGH) or melanotan-2 are not anabolic steroids.
Tony Laidler, a 36-year-old bodybuilder, nightclub doorman and Nissan car factory worker, tells potential customers that injecting drugs is not painful and advises them to use Google to check for side-effects.
Repeated postings from Laidler stating “Human growth hormone £150” and “Melantan 2 tanning injections £25” have appeared on the pages of his more than 770 Facebook friends.
Human growth hormone is a Class C anabolic steroid which can cause aggression and paranoia.
Human growth hormone, like anabolic steroids, are classified as a Class C under the United Kingdom (UK) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Class C drugs include anabolic steroids and other non-steroid drugs typically used in the bodybuilding milieu such as hGH, human chorionic gonadotropin and clenbuterol.
While the accurate classification of the performance-enhancing drugs involved may not be of great significance to the majority of Sky News readers, it certainly points to a greater need of fact-checking among the Sky New Investigative team.
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