THE IRISH Medicines Board (IMB) is to appoint an information and education manager to inform the public of the effects of taking anabolic steroids.
IMB chief executive Pat O’Mahony confirmed the appointment, stating it would take place in August.
“Education is a powerful tool,” said Mr O’Mahony, adding that young sports people may decide not to partake in the use of performance-enhancing drugs, “if they can be persuaded that what they’re doing is going to have negative effects”.
The IMB oversees the supply and content of medicines sold in Ireland. As well as this regulatory function, the organisation also has the power to investigate possible regulation breaches and can take legal action against a person who is thought to be selling illegal medicines.
However, a significant amount of these drugs are bought by Irish people through internet sites based in foreign countries.
According to Mr O’Mahony, the IMB has seen a 250 per cent increase in the number of seizures of illegal products being bought from websites and coming through customs and the postal service.
Meanwhile, Mr O’Mahony described as “reasonable” the penalty of €6,000 imposed on Dublin businessman Michael Kehoe found guilty last week of the possession of 80,000 anabolic steroid tablets four years ago.
“I would have thought they were reasonable penalties,” said Mr O’Mahony, adding that a precedent for imprisoning those found to be in possession of such illegal performance-enhancing substances existed as a result of a 2007 court ruling which sentenced Brian Wainstein to two years’ imprisonment, comprising 20 months’ suspended and four months in prison.
This was for the sale and supply of prescription-only medical products, mainly anabolic steroids, through the internet and for the use of his premises as a base for the mail order of such products.
While Mr O’Mahony stressed the necessity for the IMB’s regulatory work in preventing the sale of illegal substances through the internet, he hoped the work of the incoming information and education manager would make many people think again before taking these drugs.