TEENAGERS as young as 15 are risking their health by experimenting with anabolic steroids, according to a study.

And some of the youngsters are taking the drug to help them stand up to bullies, the research has revealed.

Carl Bell, a young men's health worker with the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust, met and interviewed North-East teenagers who regularly take the banned drug.

"While anabolic steroids can help build muscle, it has potentially dangerous side-effects," he said.

"Those who abuse steroids can also be subject to a phenomenon known as 'roid rage', triggering out-of-control aggression resulting in fights or self-harm."

Mr Bell believes the issue is not getting the attention it deserves.

That is why on December 14 he will unveil a specially-commissioned DVD on anabolic steroids aimed at highlighting the problem at a venue in Spennymoor, County Durham.

Made with local teenagers who have dabbled with steroids the DVD will be offered to agencies which work with young people as a training aid.

Mr Bell, whose job is to make contact with difficult-to-reach younger men in Wear Valley, Weardale and Teesdale, has been surprised at the extent of the problems he has uncovered.

"There is no doubt that the use of anabolic steroids by young men, some as young as 15, is a real problem in the Durham Dales," said Mr Bell.

Most people associate anabolic steroid abuse with over-enthusiastic bodybuilders.

But Mr Bell said his research suggests that many young people are taking the drugs for other reasons.

"It is not necessarily bodybuilding. Young people are taking them to put on bulk, maybe it is because they are being bullied or maybe it is someone who wants to prove that they are a man."

He said he was shocked at the lack of knowledge about the potentially dangerous side-effects of the drug.

"I would say there is a poor level of knowledge about the downside of using anabolic steroids," he said.

Steroids can damage kidneys, reduce fertility, shrink testicles and expose users who inject to blood disorders. They can also lead to acne, oily skin and unwanted breast tissue.

"We are launching this video, which was made with a group of young people who are at risk of being excluded from school, to highlight the dangers of using these drugs," said Mr Bell.