Crime & Extremism

The data

more likely to die than non-users

JAMA, 2024 · 1,189 Danish users over 11 years

more likely to be imprisoned than non-users

Danish study, 2019 · 545 users over 11 years

1 in 5

steroid users imprisoned for violent crimes

Same cohort of 545 users

Excess deaths

A 2024 JAMA study tracked 1,189 Danish steroid users over 11 years. They were nearly three times more likely to die than non-users. Excess deaths came from cardiovascular disease, violent crime and suicide.

Imprisonment

A separate 2019 study tracked 545 steroid users over 11 years. They were nine times more likely to be imprisoned. Nearly one in five were imprisoned for violent crimes. The aggression and impulsivity associated with compounds like trenbolone and high-dose testosterone are well-documented in clinical literature.

The UK does not track this. The ONS does not report steroid-related deaths. There is no way to know how many men in the UK are dying from consequences of steroid use.

The pipeline to extremism

Many influencers advocating steroid use act as a direct pipeline to extremist content, collaborating with far-right figures to push antisemitic conspiracy theories and misinformation around race, gender and sexual orientation. One moment a boy may be viewing an influencer advocating steroid use; a few swipes later he may encounter AI-translated Hitler speeches.

Entry point

Fitness or bodybuilding content. Algorithms surface increasingly extreme creators.

Normalisation

Steroid use framed as essential for male self-improvement, not a health risk.

Community

WhatsApp, Discord or Telegram groups for cycle advice and sourcing. These spaces also contain extremist content and recruitment.

Far-right collaboration

The same influencers promote antisemitic conspiracy theories, misogyny and racial ideology alongside fitness content.

Withdrawal

Users encouraged to reject mainstream society, education and relationships. Steroid use, extremist ideology and isolation reinforce each other.

What they promote

Antisemitic conspiracy theories

Jewish people blamed for societal problems through recycled far-right tropes presented as hidden truths.

Racial ideology

Misinformation around race woven into content about masculinity and self-improvement.

Misogyny and anti-LGBTQ+ content

Hostility toward women and LGBTQ+ people framed as a return to traditional values.

Withdrawal from the system

Rejection of mainstream education, media and democratic institutions. Isolation reframed as independence.

The platform is the pipeline. A teenager searches for steroids on social media, joins a Telegram group, and within days is exposed to content normalising weapons, violence, controlled substances and organised crime.

The UK data void

The Crime Survey for England and Wales reports steroid figures only under ‘any drug’, not in the main bulletin — and does not include all image and performance enhancing drugs. The reported 45,000 users is a substantial underestimate

UK police do not record steroid use as a factor in violent or sexual crime data

NHS admission codes for steroid use (T38.7 and F55.3) are inconsistently applied — many steroid-related admissions are coded by the presenting condition alone

The ONS does not report steroid-related deaths

We are making policy in the dark. Without data, there is no way to understand the scale of steroid-related crime and death in the UK, and no way to design an effective response.

Ofcom has produced guidance for tech companies on tackling online harms affecting women and girls. No equivalent guidance exists for men and boys. The promotion of unregulated injectable drugs by influencers with millions of followers is one of the most tangible online harms facing males in the UK today.