The death of Staten Island bodybuilder Joseph Baglio in 2007 has resulted in his doctor facing criminal charges. Among the accusations facing Dr. Lucente (who has pleaded not guilty) is that he prescribed steroids to Mr. Baglio despite the fact he should have known they could be damaging to the heart. Baglio had a heart transplant in 2005 and continued to compete.
image via NYtimes
From the NYtimes: The cynical side of things seemed partly confirmed last week when the authorities in Brooklyn announced the indictment of Dr. Richard Lucente, a Staten Island physician, who was charged with illegally prescribing steroids to Mr. Baglio and to more than 200 other clients between 2005 and 2007. Dr. Lucente, along with a pharmacy in Brooklyn, was accused, among other things, of reckless endangerment for having given the dose of steroids to Mr. Baglio that prosecutors said eventually caused his death, at age 41.
This is a touchy subject, but I can’t say I agree with this. Having been part of the bodybuilding culture for numerous years, there is one thing I have learned – if someone really wants steroids they will get them. I’ve heard through the grapevine doctors have caved in and prescribed steroids for some with the idea that the individual will get them anyway – so instead of their patient using some possibly contaminated or worse homecooked brew, they can use quality items under doctors orders. If this doctor had not prescribed them – there is the distinct possibility the bodybuilder would have got them some other way. The bodybuilder was a grown adult and made the decision to use steroids, when does personal responsibility come into it?
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