Should Athletes Be Allowed To Stay Drug Free?

In every sport, there has always been a desire to win. Some athletes will do anything to make winning possible. Every elite athlete wants to be better than their opponent. Some rely on performance enhancing drugs, also known as PED’s, to improve their game. This topic is very important because it can be the difference between winning and losing. Winning can mean money, fame and a place in history. I believe athletes should not use PED’s in sports because it is an unfair advantage, health risk, bad role modeling, bad sportsmanship, and results in tainted records and awards.

Performance-enhancing drugs (PED 's) have been an issue for many decades now for the medical and sports field. Olympic and professional athletes have been using them to gain an upper hand on the competition, but some may ask if it 's really worth it? Studies show that performance-enhancing drugs have been proven to negatively affect the health of athletes who take them. Simply put, performance-enhancing drugs could either improve athletic performance or can be extremely dangerous, in certain situations, deadly. There have been strict rules and drug testing in the professional sporting organizations, as well as in world competitions. For example, in the summer of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, in two of the

“Commentators claim that performance-enhancing drugs are not right or wrong, simply another strategy to improve performance” (Introduction to Performance-Enhancing Drugs). There are two main problems wrong with the use of drugs being legal. Health of athletes would drop devastatingly, and the true competition would become who gets lucky. “Some mourn the loss of yesterday's baseball heroes, while others argue that sport figures who use performance-enhancing drugs expose flaws in American culture” (Introduction to Performance-Enhancing

“Why it’s time to legalize steroids in professional sports” written by Chris Smith of Forbes Magazine argues that to level the playing field of professional sports it would be beneficial to legalize the use of performance enhancing drugs. Mr. Smith’s ideals that professional sports would be a fairer, more entertaining version of itself if performance enhancing drugs were legal, is an incredibly irresponsible and impudent declaration.

PEDs aren't ruining sports or American culture as many people would like to believe. In reality, because PEDs in sports has become commonplace over the years, revenues have increased in the trillions of dollars (Adams et al 2004). The one thing that all the trillion plus dollar major sports have realized is that fans want to see larger than life people doing larger than life things. Fans want to see 40-yard dash times shattered each year at football combines. They want their linemen all to bench press over 500 pounds (Adams et al

In all areas of sports, professional, college, and even high school, there is widespread illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs. It seems like you can’t go more than a week without hearing about somebody’s PED problems. Although there are many reasons for athletes to choose to use these drugs, the cost of such use, both to the athlete and to society can be extraordinarily high. The question that many people must answer to themselves is “is it worth the risk”. Therefore, it is important to understand why performance-enhancing drugs are used, the consequences of their use, and then apply that knowledge to how they are represented in the media.

Dick Butkus, a retired pro football hall of famer, stated, “There is a myth out there that somehow anabolic steroids can turn a cub into a bear. Steroids won’t make you tough and competitive. What they will do is ruin your health. It’s that simple,” on his opinion about the use of steroids. Although the stance against the use of performance enhancing drugs is clear to Dick, not everyone agrees on the topic. Many players, ranging in all sports at different levels, have used PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) at least once in their career to better their abilities and performances. Some of those players have been caught and have been rightfully punished for their use; however, others get away with using PEDs and remain praised above their opposition. I believe that the use of performance enhancing drugs is wrong and should continue to be banned morally by the fans and legally by the commissioners. There are few positives to using PEDs, which ignite the urge for players to become better at their sport for fame, money, or success. Nonetheless, the negatives immensely outweigh the positives. The use of performance enhancing drugs creates detrimental health risks on athletes, changes the way sports were originally meant to be played for the worse, and shows unacceptable influence on fans and children.

Steroids are the single most abused performance-enhancing substance in the history of sports. As popular as the drug may be, the DEA listed anabolic steroids as a controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act in 1990: meaning steroids can only be prescribed by a medical professional (Parks 12). Steroids are not only creating a poor image of professional sports, they also set a terrible example for the athletic, competitive youth of this generation. Children venerate their role models - like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds - and think the only way to be as successful as they are is to do as they do: use steroids. What the youth are too naïve to consider is that steroids do not improve agility, skill or cardiovascular capacity, and can prematurely stunt growth and destroy the liver of adolescents (ESPN). While the effects on the youth cannot be ignored, the everlasting effects on sports themselves leave a tarnished sense of distrust. Dr. Paul Finkelman stated, “Steroids undermine the integrity [of the game] by placing in doubt the skill of players, as fans assume that homers are hit because of steroids, not skill” (ProCon). The problem with making a stricter Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) testing policy is that if one substance becomes too recognizable, there will always be new, untested drugs which can cause more harm to one’s body than steroids ever would (Ropp). Random drug testing has proven successful in the past, but tests are very expensive and can sometimes be

PEDS were not part of the National Football League or the Major League Baseball in the past and it should be kept that way. What makes these leagues so intriguing to watch these athletes perform is knowing that this is their natural ability. An athletes should not put their body in greater risk of harm just for viewership for the league. Work ethic and human ability should be what gets these athletes into the league, not a drug. Commissioners and viewers know that it is morally wrong to destroy one's’ body just to have a more exciting game. Passing a rule to allow PEDS will ruin the credibility of these athletes abilities and shameful to the commissioner to allow cheating. These athletes should be setting an example to the youth. Younger children

The issue of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) has been among the most controversial in the sports world. A number of high profile athletes from Barry Bonds to Lance Armstrong have seen their reputations tarnished as a result of their use of these substances. Even the US Congress has held a number of high profile hearings on the subject to rid professional sports of their usage. In the sports world, it is almost assumed that sports are better when PEDs are removed from the game, and that the sport’s integrity is threatened when its players use these banned substances. Bud Selig, the former commissioner of Major League Baseball, described ridding baseball of PEDs as necessary “to maintain integrity, fairness and a level playing field.” Sports leagues have created highly sophisticated systems to identify players who use PEDs and levy them with harsh punishments. I will argue that the argument from fairness presented by Michael Lavin is not a valid reason to ban PEDs from professional sports. To clarify, my argument is not that PEDs are good for athletes or professional sports, but merely that they should not be banned out of a concern for fairness.

The illegal use of PEDs diminish the true sportsmanship of the game. In some sports and competitions PEDs make the sport unrealistic when users are so much better than others. For instance, in baseball a record for the most homeruns may be set by an athlete using illegal drugs which makes it unfair for the “clean athletes”. Athletes using PEDs are not using their natural abilities to compete they are cheating their way past competitors taking the fun and honesty out of the game. Some reporters say if an athlete is caught using PEDs any award or record they have set should be revoked. Sports have become so competitive that athletes young and old turn to PEDs to become better and that takes away from the fairness. Athletes

The most commonly discussed issue in sports of the 21st century is the use of performance enhancing drugs by professional athletes. Over the past four years, it has been nearly impossible to turn on the television without hearing something about athletes and these drugs. From former National League MVP Third Baseman Ken Caminiti's admission of steroid use in an issue of Sports Illustrated (Verducci, 2004) to 2006 Tour de France Champion Floyd Landis being stripped of title due to a failed doping test (Blue, 2006) virtually every sport is involved. Are performance enhancing drugs a substance that threatens the very existence of professional sports, or are they the future? Perhaps the issue

Professional sports are a competition between the greatest athletes in the world. And when I go to a game, that’s exactly what I expect to see. Sports are entertainment. There is no room for purity and respecting the limits that athletes had in the past. Modern athletes should utilize all the resources that they have available to them. This includes steroids, which enhance an athlete’s performance. After all, performance is what really matters.

There are good reasons to allow performance enhancement, to make sport fairer and to narrow the gap between the cheaters and the honest athletes. It would provide a better spectacle, be safer and less coercive” (Foddy) Therefore, with the legalization of PED’s not only would the playing field suddenly be even for all players, it would be at a higher level. Furthermore, athletes on the way up whose entourages don’t yet include savvy physiotherapists and doctors would be less likely to overdose and do themselves harm.

To them this makes it more exciting and fun to watch. Also people say that if we try to get rid of all of the players using drugs, then there will be many fewer players playing in leagues like the NFL. I am not saying that the drug using players should be banned but the league should try to do more to get them to stop taking the drugs. Maybe by putting a big big ticket for every player and every time they are caught taking drug enhancement in their body. The athletes may just be using the drugs because someone told them to and as we all know athletes aren't the brightest crayons in the BOX. Now these drugs might be making them better players but they are actually really horrible for their health. drugs like steroids have horrible side effects that can cause liver damage reproductive system issues growth issues and in some cases even give you cancer. Athletes should look into this and the next time their coach tries to put a needle in their butt maybe they should stand up for themselves.