Some 5 percent of Greek schoolchildren who are involved in sports use anabolic steroids, according to a study released yesterday by the Pediatrics Department of the University of Athens.

Still, steroid abuse is lower among Greek students than those in other countries, says Giorgos Chroussos, a professor who led the study.

“However, they are encouraged to use steroids by the examples set by famous athletes," Chrousos says. "They adopt a new moral code which allows for the use of any means to achieve their goals.” A drug scandal involving two top Greek sprinters marred last summer’s Athens Olympics.

The study’s authors say boys are the predominant users of steroids and run the risk of damaging their reproductive health.

Meanwhile, the same scientists also advised parents to curb their children’s cell phone use. Another study found that eight in 10 secondary school pupils own cell phones, and 65 percent of them use them during lessons.