Anabolic steroids are among the oldest performance- enhancing drugs in sport and their use has spread into many other layers of society. The use and sale of steroids are illegal in most parts of the world, and authorities who attempt to combat trafficking in them find themselves engaged in ceaseless, yet ultimately futile efforts: traffickers are always a step ahead of them. However, an effective way to combat steroid use could be to inform people about these drugs' advantages and disadvantages. The mainstream media can play an important part in this process. They have a social responsibility to provide exhaustive information about the long-term damage caused by these substances. Do journalists uphold this responsibility? Through a study of the headlines the Spanish press devoted to the issue between 2007 and 2011, we have examined the following question: did journalists actually inform their audience about all aspects of this public health problem? We found that they easily fall prey to sensationalism, emphasizing catchier facts to the expense of others, health-related for instance, which provides an incomplete depiction of the matter and may have harmful long-term effects, as well as going against journalism deontology.