Anabolic Steroid Control Act passed.

October 8th marked the passage of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 (S. 2195 & H.R. 3866), which made its way to the President's desk for a signature shortly thereafter to become law. To recap, the bill gives the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) the authority to add androstenedione ("andro"), tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) and other steroid precursors to the list of anabolic steroids that are classified as Schedule III controlled substances. While DHEA was exempted from this bill, it will be watched very closely by certain members of Congress to make sure that it is not marketed or sold outside the realm of its intended function, according to LDI Group, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT. If DHEA is abused in the estimation of Congressional members, it too will be moved to the Schedule III list. The final version of the bill also included a provision designed to encourage education programs in elementary and secondary schools to convey the harmful effects of anabolic steroids. The bill was strongly supported by the major dietary supplement associations, including the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) and the Utah Natural Products Alliance (UNPA). In addition, the bill garnered support from medical and sports organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL).