news release
ANDREW J. SPANO, Westchester County Executive SUSAN TOLCHIN, Director of Communications

CONTACT: SUSAN TOLCHIN (914) 995-2932

DONNA GREENE (914) 995-2935

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 24 2005

ABOUT 400 ATTEND STEROID SUMMIT
Students, coaches, athletic directors, health teachers from about 40 schools learn about
Steroids and Other Athletic Performance-Enhancing Supplements

Almost 400 people -- from more than 40 Westchester high schools -- attended today’s Westchester County Summit on Steroids and Other Athletic Performance-Enhancing Supplements.

The event at the County Center drew students, coaches, athletic directors, health teachers and school officials and was part of an initiative of County Executive Andy Spano to confront the growing use of dangerous supplements nationwide and apparently in Westchester.

“It’s clear that this is topic of great interest beyond the stereotype of a male athlete. The purpose of this Summit was to help make sure our youth – and the influential adults in their lives – understand how dangerous these supplements are.”

The event featured a panel of experts who covered topics such as the dangers of steroids and other athletic performance enhancing products, how to recognize signs and symptoms of product use, methods for coaches to discourage use of such products and healthy ways to achieve desired fitness or body image.

The speakers were:

• Steven S. Kipnis, medical director of the New York State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services, who spoke about the dangers of prescription stimulants and the hazards of possible interactions with street drugs such as alcohol and marijuana.
• Jonathan Weinstein, director of the Hudson Valley Poison Education Center, Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, who discussed risks associated with using non-prescription stimulants and diuretics.

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Steroids P. 2

• Eric Small, sports medicine specialist and chairman of American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine & Fitness , who talked about the dangers of steroids and other athletic performance-enhancing products and how to recognize signs and symptoms of product use.
• Paul Burke, a former body building champion and author of Burke’s Law, a new book dealing with fitness over 40, who told his personal story of using then-legal steroids and the negative health effects these products have had on him.
• Dania A. Sweitzer, director, Pleasantville Physical Therapy & Sports Care and former captain of the University of Miami swim team, who spoke of the healthy ways to achieve desired fitness or body image and methods for coaches to discourage use of steroids and other athletic performance-enhancing products.

The Summit was a joint effort of the County Executive’s Office, the Department of Health and the county’s Office of Drug Prevention and Stop-DWI

“While steroids can cause serious health problems in anyone who uses them, they pose a special danger to adolescents,” said Dr Josh Lipsman, the county’s commissioner of health, who moderated the panel discussion. “The use of these products can cause high blood pressure, heart disease and liver damage. Steroids have also been shown to stop growth too soon and cause severe acne, aggressive behavior and depression.”

For further information, go to www.westchestergov.com/steroids.