I don't think these products should be illegal per se, but as it stands there is next to no burden on the manufacturers to show they are safe, let alone effective as advertised.
Andro is a bad product. From my personal experience you get almost none of the desired effect and most of the side effects of anabolic steroids. I'm 41 years old. I used these products extensively for about 3 years. My blood profile is eerily similar to a hardcore steroid user. My HDL and testosterone production are low, my estradiol levels are high. While on Andro I developed gynocomastia. I was growing TITS! I noticed no appreciabe increase in strength or lean body mass, even though the ads tout HUGE gains in both. I now find myself on testosterone replacement therapy and low doses of Arimidex to block the estrogen.
If manufacturers of these products were held to tighter standards and the sale limited to folks above age 21, you'd probably see them fall out of the market.
They probably would not be on the market at all if we had a sane policy towards steroids. My doctor and I should be able to work together if I want to do a cycle or two a year to build a little muscle. Why is it that my neighbor could get the brains sucked out of her fetus' head right up until birth and have that be considered a constitutionally protected freedom, but I'm a criminal if I want to score some Dianabol to build a little muscle.
IF that is indeed true you should be able to find an open minded Doctor, that will take you to a High Normal Level of Testosterone, via Injection.
Also, I have to agree that Andros, and the newer versions of the prohormones just plain don't work as advertised. The sad part is, in 3 or 4 more years, everybody will know they don't work, the supplement companies will be onto the next scam, and we'll still be stuck with this legislation.
Anybody who's been around long enough to remember things like Cybergenics, Smilaz, Orhcic Extract, etc. knows how the cycle goes.
Too bad there's not a test you can take which will read your level of personal responsibility. It's YOUR responsibility to find out about these things instead of just assuming that they are safe. If you take something into your body then it's up to you to determine the effects, not someone else. If you can't verify its safety/effectiveness, then don't take it.
How about this one: if you go to the doctor and take prescriptions meds on a regular basis, how many times has the doc warned you about side effects? My doctor never bothers to tell me unless I ask something specific about stomach upset, etc. I bet I'm one of the few who even ask him. And when I get the medication, I read the package insert for contraindications, whether it's OTC or prescription. Do you do that? How many people do you know who do?
Docs don't usually fully inform their patients, either, so the responsibility is still on the person taking the meds. I can accept this, because it's ultimately me who will have to live with the consequences of taking the meds or not taking them.