*Group calls on baseball stars to renounce andro, steroids*
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SARASOTA, Florida (Ticker) -- A health advocacy group today
called on Major League Baseball stars to renounce
performance-enhancing substances such as androstenedione and
anabolic steroids. 

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's Healthy Competition
Foundation challenged players to sign a pledge to remain free of
those substances. Pledges were sent to Major League Baseball,
the Players Association and a select list of top sluggers. 
Among those believed to have received the letters were Mark
McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. 

"Players have a responsibility to our young fans to set the
right example," said Dr. Allan Korn, chief medical officer of
the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. "All the evidence
indicates that these substances can be harmful to our bodies.
Kids need to start hearing from their sports heroes that there
is no substitute for hard work and dedication." 

The foundation cited a study conducted for the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services which showed that use of anabolic
steroids by teenagers jumped last year.  There has been
speculation that the increase was due, at least in part, to the
reported use of andro by baseball players, including McGwire. 

In February, a study commissioned by baseball and the players
union found that use of andro does not necessarily enhance
performance levels.  Results of the study appeared in the
Journal of the American Medical Association and concluded that
while high doses of andro can produce elevated testosterone
levels, they were not sufficient to enhance performance. 

The study seemed to somewhat rebuke the notion that andro was
not a factor in the recent home run surge by players like
McGwire and Sosa.  While hitting a record 70 homers in 1998, the
first baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals admitted to using andro
to augment his strength-building workouts. 

During last season, McGwire said he stopped using andro because
he was concerned about public perception and the example he was
setting.  Andro has not been deemed illegal by Major League
Baseball but is on the International Olympics Committee's list
of banned substances. 

"Rest assure that it remains a priority of Major League Baseball
to deal effectively with the issues surrounding the use of
steroids, androstenedione and similar substances," commissioner
Bud Selig said. "Under applicable legal restrictions, however,
we must deal with those issues in the collective bargaining
process." 

McGwire also has said he uses creatine, another nutritional
supplement that aids in muscle-building.  Baseball has no policy
regarding creatine, which has been advocated by athletes from
many sports. 

Last year, McGwire said his decision to stop using andro was
based not on health considerations but on a concern he was being
portrayed as an endorser of the product and that his use might
encourage young people to try it. 

"With Major League Baseball and the players union unable to take
immediate action on andro due to their collective bargaining
process, even in the face of significant evidence of the
potential negative health consequences, these players
individually have a unique opportunity to demonstrate
leadership," Korn said. 

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield foundation also asked the Drug
Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration
to prohibit the over-the-counter sale of andro. 

"The DEA can immediately declare andro a steroid and therefore a
controlled substance," Korn added, "and the FDA can disallow
andro's sale as a dietary supplement due to the proven negative
health effects the substance can cause." 

In recent years, athletes in all sports have begun using some
type of supplement or enhancement to assist in workouts.  In
December, NBA player Tom Gugliotta had a seizure after taking a
supplement not approved by the FDA. 

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