Actually, there isn't a major difference when it comes to IOC definitions. Steroids are considered performance enhancing drugs. I believe the reason they expanded the term from just steroids in the 70s, 80's, and 90's is that there were many drugs or paraphernelia that were developed that weren't based on products like stanozolol or other types of growth hormones which were big in the 70's especially because of its use by the then East German Sports Ministry. If you would rather I use more inclusive terminology then let's just call it "doping."
Honestly, I brought up this topic because it's interesting to me that there are many in this world who still see doping as bad because you could get caught. I find it extremely appropriate that the name of Barry Bonds comes up again. If you go to a site like si.com they have a poll that asks whether or not you would consider Bonds' record legitimate if he was caught doping. In other words, one could infer in some ways that doping was only bad for Bonds because he got caught.
What I'd like to see. is more people campaigning against doping not because it's cheating but because it has major effects on health. Honestly I'm surprised that there weren't more people on this board who spoke up against steroids because of this.
One of you mentioned earlier that these early deaths could be because of increased stress levels to the heart. While I casually joked that maybe it would be better if none of us exercised so we would live longer, if you looked at the idea of higher heart stress levels, there is a lot of merit to it.
Some forms of doping in humans and racehorses for that matter, do affect the heart's ability to pump out blood and oxygen to the bloodstream. That's why there are drugs that are banned in horse racing too because it could kill a horse instantly. That's a big concern for me because I don't want to see my kids if I had any, or my nephews using any performance enhancing drugs just so they could get better in sports. I think there should be a greater uproar amongst us as regular individuals over doping because of these health risks and not just because it is against the rules.