One Third of UK Young People Bought Unapproved Performance Drugs Promoted Online
A UK Anti-Doping survey found 33 per cent of people aged 16-25 have purchased SARMs after seeing them advertised on social media. The drugs, which mimic testosterone to build muscle, carry serious health risks including liver damage, heart issues and reduced testosterone production. Officials launched a campaign to highlight the dangers and combat online misinformation during Clean Sport Week.
The TimesA survey conducted for UK Anti-Doping has found that a third of people aged 16 to 25 in the UK have bought SARMs, synthetic drugs promoted online as performance enhancers but not approved for human consumption. The research, carried out by Censuswide, surveyed 1,043 young people and found 33 per cent had purchased the substances at some point after seeing advertisements or promotions on social media.
Twenty-nine per cent of the women surveyed were among those who had bought them. SARMs, or selective androgen receptor modulators, are designed to increase muscle mass and bone density by mimicking androgens. They are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and have been used illegally in elite sport as an alternative to anabolic steroids.
The drugs can cause liver damage, lower natural testosterone production, cardiovascular problems such as heart inflammation and thrombosis. In men they can lead to testicular shrinkage, reduced libido and sexual dysfunction. Officials described the potential side effects as life-threatening.
Forty-two per cent of those surveyed said they had seen social media content promoting "superhuman" or "shortcut results" from such substances at least once a week in the past 30 days, with some encountering it several times daily. The survey also found that a third of young people see advertisements for SARMs every week.
The substances are often marketed in tablet form, which young people appear to prefer over injected steroids. Promotions frequently use misleading or ambiguous language that presents the drugs as safe or safer alternatives.
Anti-Doping is using its Clean Sport Week, which began on Monday, to launch the "Built Not Bought; 100% me" campaign aimed at both elite athletes and gym users. Officials stressed the importance of integrity, health and well-being while highlighting the prevalence of online misinformation about image and performance-enhancing drugs.
The agency said SARMs are illegal to sell for human consumption. It urged young people to educate themselves about the risks before considering use and called for greater awareness of the serious health dangers associated with the substances. Further research is planned into the role of social media influencers in promoting these drugs to young audiences.
Officials noted that messages suggesting doping can be done safely, including those linked to an event billed as a "dopers' Olympics" taking place in Las Vegas this month, complicate efforts to discourage use.
“These substances are being actively and persuasively marketed and promoted on social media and online as being safe or safer alternatives to steroids.”
Officials said the drugs were originally developed in the 1990s with potential medical applications such as treating osteoporosis but were never approved for human use and cannot lawfully be marketed for that purpose. They warned that the unregulated products can have life-threatening or even life-ending consequences.
The findings come as concern grows over the ease with which such unapproved substances are sold online and promoted to impressionable audiences seeking rapid physical improvements.
Transparency
Rewrite largely presents facts plainly but inherits consensus framing on health dangers and marketing threats, with heavy reliance on UK Anti-Doping officials' language.
Selective sourcing: One-sided sourcing from anti-doping agency shapes entire narrative
The same survey data could be read as evidence that a large segment of young adults are actively seeking accessible, non-injectable alternatives to steroids despite known risks, revealing strong existing demand for performance enhancement that current regulati
2 independent outlets report the same core facts. This score blends how many outlets corroborate, their editorial tier, and how closely their facts agree — it measures corroboration, not proof.
Sources framed at 65 → our rewrite 35. We stripped 30 points of framing the sources carried in.
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