Congress Passes Steroid Control Act: The Senate unanimously passed The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 on Monday, passing it on to President Bush, who is expected to sign the bill into law. The proposed statute adds steroid precursors and substances such as androstenedione (andro), to the list of anabolic steroids that are classified as Schedule III controlled substances, which are banned from over-the-counter sales without a prescription.



This follows on President Bush's State of the Union address, as well as a number of congressional hearings in the wake of the Balco scandal. Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig also issued a statement, congratulating Congress on passing the bill:

"This important legislation will help us reach our goal of zero tolerance in the battle against steroids," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "With the passage of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act, steroid precursors will be deemed prohibited substances under Major League Baseball's joint drug program. This will allow us to test for steroid precursors, just as we are currently testing for steroids, as part of our regular testing."

This seems like good news, not only for baseball and other professional sports, but for athletes everywhere. Making it harder to get these drugs will hopefully also protect high school and other amateur athletes from the temptations of performance-enhancement.

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