The Act was aimed at establishing penalties for advisers or physical trainers who persuade or encourage individuals to make use or possess anabolic steroids. This Act defined “anabolic steroid” as a drug or hormonal substance that is promoting muscle growth in a manner pharmacologically similar to testosterone, including specified substances and added steroids as a schedule III substance under such Act.

The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 26th April 1990 and was thereafter referred to the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment on 14th May 1990.

According to the Act, coaches and others who persuade or induce use of steroids shall be fined under title 18 of the United States code, or may be imprisoned for a period not more than two years, or both. The Act further stated that the maximum imprisonment shall be five years if the individual persuaded or induced has not attained the age of eighteen years. For the purpose of this Act, the term ‘physical trainer or adviser’ refers to any amateur or professional coach, trainer, instructor, manager, or other such person who offers any physical or athletic instruction, assistance, training, or other such service to any individual.

Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) was amended to define anabolic steroid as any drug or hormonal substance that is used for promoting growth of muscles in a manner that is pharmacologically similar to testosterone, and includes–

(A) Boldenone.
(B) Chlorotestosterone.
(C) Clostebol.
(D) Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone.
(E) Dihydrotestosterone.
(F) Drostanolone.
(G) Ethylestrenol.
(H) Fluoxymesterone.
(I) Mesterolone.
(J) Methandienone.
(K) Methandranone.
(L) Methandriol.
(M) Methandrostenolone.
(N) Methyltestosterone.
(O) Mibolerone.
(P) Nandrolone.
(Q) Norethandrolone.
(R) Oxandrolone.
(S) Oxymesterone.
(T) Oxymetholone.
(U) Stanolone.
(V) Stanozolol.
(W) Testolactone.
(X) Testosterone.
(Y) Trenbolone; and
(Z) Any salt, ester, or isomer of a drug or substance described or listed in this paragraph, if that salt, ester, or isomer promotes muscle growth.’

Subsection (e) of section 303 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 333) was amended for penalty on distribution of human growth hormone (HGH) by inserting human growth hormone in place of anabolic steroid at every place and by adding that `human growth hormone’ means somatrem, somatropin, or an analogue of either of them’ at the end. Section 404 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 844) was amended and ` (a)’ before `It shall be unlawful’ in the first undesignated paragraph was inserted.

Before enactment of this Act, criminal penalties were specifically set forth for traffickers in anabolic steroids for non-medical reasons under 1988 legislation amending the Food and Drug Act. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-690, Sec 2401, 102 Stat. 4181 (1988) was repealed in November, 1990, effective February 1991, by the Anabolic Steroids Control Act. Between 1988 and 1990, Congressional hearings were held for evaluating whether the Controlled Substances Act should get an amendment to include steroids along with more serious drugs like cocaine and heroin. A big majority of witnesses including medical professionals and representatives of regulatory agencies (including the FDA, the DEA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse) recommended against the proposed amendment to the law. The American Medical Association went on to say that abuse of anabolic steroids does not result in physical or psychological dependence required for scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act and recommended education, not criminalization, for combating steroid abuse. The Congress nevertheless scheduled steroids as Schedule III controlled substances under Title 21 of the United States Code.

On November 29, 1990, the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990 became law when President George Herbert Walker Bush, the forty-first United States President, signed the Omnibus Crime Control Bill that was slated to be applied in every Federal court across the country. The law categorized anabolic steroids in the same legal class (Schedule III) as methamphetamines, opium, morphine, and amphetamines. The simple possession of steroids was made a federal offense punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a minimum fine of $1,000 and a person with a past conviction for specific offenses and indulging in simple steroid possession was to get imprisonment of at least 15 days and up to two years, and a minimum fine of $2,500. People with a history of two or more such convictions face imprisonment of not less than 90 days but not more than three years, and a minimum fine of $5,000 for simple possession of anabolic steroids. Sale or possession of steroids with intent to sell was made punishable by up to five years in prison (with at least two additional years of supervised release) and/or a fine of $250,000. A person who committed such a violation and was previously convicted for a drug offense could face up to ten years imprisonment (with at least four additional years of special parole) and/or increased fines.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated hundreds of anabolic steroid investigations between February 1991 and February 1995 and any one arrested for even simple possession of steroids faced the prospects of a criminal prosecution. The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 was to be enforced and violations prosecuted in every state and the primary federal law enforcement agencies dealing with anabolic steroids include the U.S. Postal Inspectors, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and U.S. Customs. Approximately twenty-two states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas) had tightened control over anabolic steroids during 1989 and 1990, according to a 1991 survey of anabolic steroid state legislation.

The S. 2195 (108th) bill that led to the enactment of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 was reported by committed on 30th September 2004, passed the Senate on 6th October 2004, passed the house on 8th October 2004, signed by the President on 22nd October 2004, and was enacted after being signed by the President on October 22, 2004.

The bill by Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. [D-DE] was co-sponsored by:
Allen, George [R-VA]
Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Grassley, Charles “Chuck” [R-IA]
Harkin, Thomas “Tom” [D-IA]
Hatch, Orrin [R-UT]
McCain, John [R-AZ]
Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Stevens, Ted [R-AK]
Lautenberg, Frank [D-NJ]

Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) was amended to change the definition of “anabolic steroid” to include any drug or hormonal substance, chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids, and dehydroepiandrosterone), and includes–

(i) androstanediol–
(I) 3b,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane; and
(II) 3a,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane;
(ii) androstanedione (5a-androstan-3,17-dione);
(iii) androstenediol–
(I) 1-androstenediol (3b,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androst-1-ene);
(II) 1-androstenediol (3a,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androst-1-ene);
(III) 4-androstenediol (3b,17b-dihydroxy-androst-4-ene); and
(IV) 5-androstenediol (3b,17b-dihydroxy-androst-5-ene);
(iv) androstenedione–
(I) 1-androstenedione ([5a]-androst-1-en-3,17-dione);
(II) 4-androstenedione (androst-4-en-3,17-dione); and
(III) 5-androstenedione (androst-5-en-3,17-dione);
(v) bolasterone (7a,17a-dimethyl-17b-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(vi) boldenone (17b-hydroxyandrost-1,4,-diene-3-one);
(vii) calusterone (7b,17a-dimethyl-17b-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(viii) clostebol (4-chloro-17b-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(ix) dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (4-chloro-17b-hydroxy-17a-methyl-androst-1,4-dien-3-one);
(x) *1-dihydrotestosterone (a.k.a. ‘1-testosterone’) (17b-hydroxy-5a-androst-1-en-3-one);
(xi) 4-dihydrotestosterone (17b-hydroxy-androstan-3-one);
(xii) drostanolone (17b-hydroxy-2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3-one);
(xiii) ethylestrenol (17a-ethyl-17b-hydroxyestr-4-ene);
(xiv) fluoxymesterone (9-fluoro-17a-methyl-11b,17b-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(xv) formebolone (2-formyl-17a-methyl-11a,17b-dihydroxyandrost-1,4-dien-3-one);
(xvi) furazabol (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxyandrostano[2,3-c]-furazan);
(xvii) 13b-ethyl-17a-hydroxygon-4-en-3-one;
(xviii) 4-hydroxytestosterone (4,17b-dihydroxy-androst-4-en-3-one);
(xix) 4-hydroxy-19-nortestosterone (4,17b-dihydroxy-estr-4-en-3-one);
(xx) mestanolone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxy-5a-androstan-3-one);
(xxi) mesterolone (1a-methyl-17b-hydroxy-[5a]-androstan-3-one);
(xxii) methandienone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxyandrost-1,4-dien-3-one);
(xxiii) methandriol (17a-methyl-3b,17b-dihydroxyandrost-5-ene);
(xxiv) methenolone (1-methyl-17b-hydroxy-5a-androst-1-en-3-one);
(xxv) 17a-methyl-3b, 17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane;
(xxvi) 17a-methyl-3a,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane;
(xxvii) 17a-methyl-3b,17b-dihydroxyandrost-4-ene.
(xxviii) 17a-methyl-4-hydroxynandrolone (17a-methyl-4-hydroxy-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one);
(xxix) methyldienolone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxyestra-4,9(10)-dien-3-one);
(xxx) methyltrienolone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxyestra-4,9-11-trien-3-one);
(xxxi) methyltestosterone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(xxxii) mibolerone (7a,17a-dimethyl-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one);
(xxxiii) 17a-methyl-*1-dihydrotestosterone (17b-hydroxy-17a-methyl-5a-androst-1-en-3-one) (a.k.a. ‘17-a-methyl-1-testosterone’);
(xxxiv) nandrolone (17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one);
(xxxv) norandrostenediol–
(I) 19-nor-4-androstenediol (3b, 17b-dihydroxyestr-4-ene);
(II) 19-nor-4-androstenediol (3a, 17b-dihydroxyestr-4-ene);
(III) 19-nor-5-androstenediol (3b, 17b-dihydroxyestr-5-ene); and
(IV) 19-nor-5-androstenediol (3a, 17b-dihydroxyestr-5-ene);
(xxxvi) norandrostenedione–
(I) 19-nor-4-androstenedione (estr-4-en-3,17-dione); and
(II) 19-nor-5-androstenedione (estr-5-en-3,17-dione;
(xxxvii) norbolethone (13b,17a-diethyl-17b-hydroxygon-4-en-3-one);
(xxxviii) norclostebol (4-chloro-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one);
(xxxix) norethandrolone (17a-ethyl-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one);
(xl) normethandrolone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one);
(xli) oxandrolone (17a-methyl-17b-hydroxy-2-oxa-[5a]-androstan-3-one);
(xlii) oxymesterone (17a-methyl-4,17b-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(xliii) oxymetholone (17a-methyl-2-hydroxymethylene-17b-hydroxy-[5a]-androstan-3-one);
(xliv) stanozolol (17a-methyl-17a-hydroxy-[5a]-androst-2-eno[3,2-c]-pyrazole);
(xlv) stenbolone (17b-hydroxy-2-methyl-[5a]-androst-1-en-3-one);
(xlvi) testolactone (13-hydroxy-3-oxo-13,17-secoandrosta-1,4-dien-17-oic acid lactone);
(xlvii) testosterone (17b-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one);
(xlviii) tetrahydrogestrinone (13b,17a-diethyl-17b-hydroxygon-4,9,11-trien-3-one);
(xlix) trenbolone (17b-hydroxyestr-4,9,11-trien-3-one); and
(xlx) any salt, ester, or ether of a drug or substance described in this paragraph.

The substances, which were excluded under this sub-paragraph, may be scheduled by the Attorney General at any time in accordance with the authority and requirements of subsections (a) through (c) of section 201.

“Under this bill, clever chemists will no longer be able to dodge the law by disguising their chemicals to skirt the legal definition of a steroid,” Hatch said in a statement after the bill’s passage. “Our bill gives the Drug Enforcement Agency the power to schedule nearly any steroid precursor now or in the future–giving the law flexibility we don’t have to play catch-up with every new andro look-alike that comes along.”

The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 directed the United States Sentencing Commission for reviewing and considering amending the federal sentencing guidelines to provide for increased penalties with respect to offenses involving anabolic steroids. It also directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services for awarding grants to public and nonprofit private entities to carry out science-based education programs in elementary and secondary schools to emphasize the harmful effects of anabolic steroids.

Those substances defined as anabolic steroids became subject (effective January 20, 2005) to CSA regulatory controls and administrative, civil and criminal sanctions applicable to the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, importing and exporting of a Schedule III controlled substance, including the following:

• Any individual, who manufactures, distributes, dispenses, imports or exports a substance defined as an anabolic steroid or engages in research or conducts instructional activities with respect to substances defined as anabolic steroids or who proposes to engage in such activities must be registered to conduct such activities with Schedule III controlled substances in accordance with 21 CFR part 1301.
• All labels and labeling for commercial containers of substances defined as anabolic steroids that are distributed on or after January 17, 2006, shall comply with requirements of 21 CFR 1302.03-1302.07.
• All registrants are required to keep records pursuant to 21 CFR 1304.03, 1304.04, 1304.05, 1304.21, 1304.22, 1304.23 and 1304.26.
• All importation and exportation of any substance defined as an anabolic steroid must be in compliance with 21 CFR part 1312.
• Upon the recommendation of Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Administrator, may, by regulation, exempt from the application of all or any part of the Act any compound, mixture, or preparation containing an anabolic steroid as defined in part 1300 of this chapter, which is intended for administration to a human being or animal, if, because of its concentration, preparation, formulation, or delivery system, it has no significant potential for abuse.
• All prescriptions for these Schedule III compounds or for products containing these Schedule III compounds would be required to be issued pursuant to 21 CFR 1306.03-1306.06 and 1306.21- 1306.27.
• Every registrant required to keep records and who possesses any quantity of any substance defined as an anabolic steroid is required to keep an inventory of all stocks of the substances on hand pursuant to 21 CFR 1304.03, 1304.04 and 1304.11. Every registrant who desires registration in Schedule III for any substance defined as an anabolic steroid shall conduct an inventory of all stocks of the substances on hand at time of registration.
• As of January 20, 2005, manufacture, import, export, distribution, or sale of the listed steroids except by DEA registrants has been a violation of the CSA that may result in imprisonment and fines (21 U.S.C. 841, 960). Possession of the steroids unless legally obtained is also subject to criminal penalties (21 U.S.C. 844).
• Only persons registered as dispensers are allowed to dispense the steroids to end users. Registered dispensers, however, are limited to practitioners, who are defined in the CSA as physicians, dentists, veterinarians, scientific investigators, pharmacies, hospitals, or other persons licensed, registered, or otherwise permitted by the U.S. or the jurisdiction in which they practice or conduct research, to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to, administer, or use in teaching or chemical analysis, a controlled substance in the course of professional practice or research, 21 U.S.C. 802(21).

The principle followed in such regulated deliveries is: early intervention is as detrimental as too late intervention by the criminal prosecution authorities as this may minimize the potential success of the associated investigations.

In easy words, a controlled delivery refers to illegal transportation of drugs (including anabolic steroids) from a foreign country through domestic territory to facilitate arrival to a third country. The entire process is monitored by the criminal prosecution authorities to secure evidence against the organizers of such illicit drug traffic. The technique is followed in many countries to identify and bring to justice principals, financiers, and organizers of the illicit drug market.

According to Article 1 g) of the 1988 UN Convention against illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, controlled deliveries are defined as: “(…) the technique of allowing illicit or suspect consignments of (…) drugs (…) or substances substituted for them, to pass out of, through or into the territory of one or more countries, with the knowledge and under the supervision of their competent authorities, with a view to identifying persons involved in the commission of offences (…).”

Under the Convention, the parties shall take all the required measures within their reach to allow for the appropriate use of controlled deliveries at the international level with a view to identify individuals involved in offences and to take legal action against them. The decisions to use such deliveries shall be made on a case-to-case basis and can consider financial arrangements and understandings, when necessary, with respect to the exercise of jurisdiction by the parties concerned. Moreover, illicit consignments may be intercepted and allowed to continue with narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, removed or intact or replaced in whole or in part.

A Controlled delivery is made to facilitate movement of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, anabolic steroids, or substances substituted for them to pass out of, into, or through the territory of one or more countries, with permission and under supervision of competent authorities for identifying persons involved in the commission of offences. These deliveries are facilitated for identifying, arresting, and convicting law violators, dismantling smuggling/trafficking organizations, broadening broaden the scope of investigations, identifying additional and higher level violators, and ascertaining knowledge on transporters, receivers and managers, and to identify assets for seizure/forfeiture.

The criminal prosecution authorities can take necessary steps for early destruction or lawful disposal of the narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances that have been seized or confiscated and for admissibility as proof of duly certified necessary quantities of such substances. The involved parties may endeavor for monitoring movement of goods and persons in free trade zones and free ports and empower competent authorities to look out for search cargoes and incoming and outgoing vessels, including pleasure craft and fishing vessels, as well as aircraft and vehicles and search passengers, crew members, and their baggage if deemed appropriate. The parties may endeavor for setting up and maintaining surveillance systems in harbor and dock areas and at airports and border control points in free trade zones and free ports or creating and maintaining system(s) for detected consignments suspected of containing narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and substances, passing into or out of free trade zones and free ports.

Only drugs that can be prescribed legally in the country could be imported for personal use in the United States according to US federal and state laws and the U.S. F.D.A. does not allow the import of prescription drugs that are purchased outside the United States.

A guidance entitled “Coverage of Personal Importations” had been developed by the FDA that sets forth FDA enforcement priorities in relation to personal importation of unapproved drugs by individuals for personal use. The guidance by FDA allows individuals to import a supply of three months of an unapproved drug in the United States if the drug in question is believed not to represent an unreasonable risk or if it will not be distributed on a commercial basis by the importer or if the intended use of the drug in question is for a serious medical complication for which no effective form of treatment may not be available domestically or if the individual seeking to import the drug provides a written affirmation that the drug is meant for patient’s personal use while disclosing the name and address of the doctor licensed in the United States responsible for his or her treatment or offers evidence that the drug is for the continuation of a treatment begun in a foreign country.

In case you have decided to buy or already purchased anabolic steroids, it is very important for you have a clear and complete understanding of laws related to steroids and performance enhancing drugs in your resident country. If steroids are illegal in your country, the customs may seize the same and send a seizure letter to you for the same. The letter gives you an opportunity to claim the seized products by providing evidence or prescription that they have been lawfully purchased and prescribed for legal purposes. If the purchase is not for legal purposes or in absence or contravention to medical advice, the seizure letter may be scanned and sent back to the steroid pharmacy from where you have made the order along with a new shipping name and address so that the reshipment can take place.

It is important to note that once a seizure has been made for a specific address, the address is monitored regularly by the customs department and any new effort to get steroids delivered at the same address can land you in serious trouble and hence not recommended. The monitoring generally lasts for a period of three to six months though it may be increased in case of enough suspicion. In order to avoid legal hassles, it is important for you to avoid buying anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs without a medical prescription and always trust a legal and reputed steroid pharmacy.

While use and purchase of steroids in countries such as Pakistan, India, Ukraine, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Lebanon, Colombia, Thailand, Syria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Iran, steroid laws in the United Kingdom have recently been changed and import of steroids into the country is illegal with effect from 23 April 2012 though steroid possession is legal for personal use and people can bring their steroids into the country for personal use.

Every state and country has its own set of laws regarding use, sale, purchase, and possession of steroids and performance enhancing drugs.

A new bill has recently been proposed to amend the Controlled Substances Act to effectively regulate anabolic steroids. The proposed bill, “Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2012″ would put users and buyers of steroids to an increased imprisonment of not more than 10 years, a fine not to exceed the greater of that authorized in accordance with the provisions of title 18, United States Code, or $500,000 if the defendant is an individual or $2,500,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, or both. The possession or sale of steroids without a valid medical prescription is illegal and simple possession of these drugs carries a maximum penalty of $1000 fine in case of first offense and the maximum penalty for trafficking is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if this is a first felony drug offense for the individual. In case of second felony, the maximum fine and period of imprisonment both double.

The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 defined controlled steroids as a class of drug in Schedule III, including 27 named specifically and The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 categorized 32 additional steroids in Schedule III and expanded regulatory and enforcement authority of DEA regarding steroids. This is to aggressively identify, target, and seeking to disrupt and dismantle large-scale foreign manufacturers of anabolic steroids who are violating laws in the United States.

Sport associations including Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the Olympics Committee, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and the National Football League have already banned the use of steroids and many performance enhancing drugs.

According to laws of many states and federal laws, the sale of anabolic steroids or possession or possession with intent to sell is a felony. Any individual convicted of steroid sale, or possession of anabolic steroids unlawfully with intent to sell, may be penalized by up to five years in prison under federal law. The unlawful possession of steroids is a federal offence, punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first offense. Steroids are illegal under both state and federal laws, which means an individual may be prosecuted under either jurisdiction and the agency responsible for arrest and seriousness of charges depend on which court the case will be appearing.