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Steroids Should Be Banned

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Many types of athletes from high school students to world class Olympians have used both recreational and performance-enhancing drugs. “Recreational drugs are among the substances banned by the WADA, (World Anti-Doping Agency), the international organization that enforces drugs for the Olympics and other international sporting events.” (Drugs). Marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal drugs are recreational drugs that are used for pleasure. Athletes are forced to take drug tests, and if they test positive, they may be banned from competition and or suspended. However, there have been athletes that have argued with the sports organizations saying they should focus more on the performance-enhancing drugs. “Performance-enhancing drugs are chemicals that can improve a person’s strength, endurance, or recovery from vigorous exercise.”(Drugs). In 1999, sports organizations such as the WADA and the USADA, (United States Anti-Doping Agency), banned the use of performance-enhancing drugs, and created an anti-doping code that if an athlete gets caught using drugs, they will get suspended for two years. In 1988, Ben Johnson was stripped of his gold medal …show more content…

And if their bodies are still developing, they may be at risk for harmful health effects. In 2004, a Newsweek article said that an estimate of 300000 teens between the eight and twelfth grades had tried steroids so that they could improve in sports such as football or track and field. But steroids can interfere with the natural process of puberty. For boys, the amount of testosterone they are receiving, they can have pattern baldness and violent mood swings, and may cause them to stop producing its natural testosterone. This may cause males to develop female characteristics like breasts and a high voice. For girls, they may become more masculine and develop facial hair and a deep

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