The Army and Air Force Exchange Service has announced it is pulling all products containing androstenedione — commonly referred to as “andro” — off its store shelves.

All AAFES facilities have been told to remove all andro products after President Bush signed a bill, to take effect in early 2005, banning the substance.

Body-builders use androstenedione as a steroid precursor.

It is one of 18 substances to be added to the list of banned anabolic steroids in Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC 802) when the law takes effect Jan. 20, according to an AAFES release.

Any supplements containing andro will be classified as controlled substances; the products will be unavailable for legal purchase.

The release stated that using the substances would be illegal even were they purchased before Jan. 20.

AAFES said all products containing andro have been removed from its facilities throughout the Pacific region.

A Marine Corps Exchange spokeswoman at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni said that store carried no products containing andro.

The GNC vitamin and supplement store outside the exchange did carry some supplements with andro, she said, but they’ve been pulled from the shelves.

Navy Exchange officials at Sasebo and Yokosuka said they were unaware of any plans to remove products containing andro from their stores.

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