To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message — that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now.

— President Bush, January 20, 2004

Mr. Bush weathered a lot of abuse for mentioning steroids in his State of the Union address this year. “Ninety-nine words on steroids and not one word about manufacturing jobs,” complained Senator Kerry, who the Democrats seem set to run against Mr. Bush in November. “Ninety-nine words on steroids and not one word about weapons of mass destruction.” Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds was given steroids by his personal trainer, and that investigators were also told that Yankees stars Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield received performance-enhancing drugs.

A federal criminal investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative is ongoing, and none of the above players has been charged with any illegal activity. But it’s not too soon to conclude that Mr. Bush was correct to speak out about the problem.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the side effects of anabolic steroids, just one class of these substances, in men can include “shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts,” and “increased risk for prostate cancer,” as well as aggression, depression, and paranoid jealousy.

The more prevalent substance abuse is among professional players, the greater the risk it will take hold among high school athletes, even Little Leaguers. Already, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fully 3% of male 12th-graders nationwide reported using anabolic steroids in the past year.

Professional sports is a $200 billion industry, and that’s because, as Mr. Bush pointed out, despite all its flaws, in the minds of most fans it still represents honest competition. Remove that and something will be shattered that’s even more valuable than a single-season home-run record.