Good Performance Enhancing Drugs Research Paper Example

The debate on whether to allow performance enhancing drugs in the sports has been ongoing for some time. Some sport experts argue that there is a need to allow the use of steroids while others oppose sportsmen to use these drugs. The reasons advanced for the support or gains the use of these drugs varies. The U.S. Department of Justice (n.d), there is up to 1,084,000 or 0.5% of the adult population who use or have used steroids in their lives. Is it time to allow the performance enhancing drugs?
According to Julian Savulescu (2012), the zero tolerance on doping is failing, and it is time to permit it. Savulescu argues that, the need to allow doping is long due since it shall make it possible to monitor the drugs the athletes use. The same argument arises from Yascha Mounk (2012) who asserts that zero tolerance to doping creates a situation of unfair disadvantage those who adhere to the rules over the cheaters. Allowing the substances that are not dangerous would thus, create an equal ground for all sportsmen. Savulescu and Mounk bring out the challenge of deterring when it is unfair to use the drugs. Based on their prepositions, competition in the field is unfair if all the participants do not have the same environments, or access to authorized support materials.
There is enough evidence there are many athletes who have been using steroids. Such creates an unfair ground for competition. It is not all those who use the steroids end up getting caught and hence paying the prices of cheating. Some go through especially those who may know how to use steroid and hide their detection in their body. That is just unfair to all.
Those opposed to the use of steroids tend to argue the methods used to detect drugs are accurate enough to detect any athlete of the prohibited drugs (Michael Wald, 2013). However, one must consider the chances of testing all the athletes. Considering the huge number of athletes in one major competition, it is illogical and uneconomical to test all of them. What most sports organizers do is testing the winners and disqualifying them.
According to Shepherd University (n.d), steroids pose a health risk to the athletes. However, one must questions who has the moral authority to determine what is good and what is bad? The freedom of choice lies on the athletes. It is their right to choose whether the benefits of using steroids outweigh the adverse effects. If the entire athletes have the freedom to use these steroids and risk not perfuming well for a long time, it is upon them and, therefore, no one should stop them from using steroids. This argument concurs with feeling of most of the pro doping advocates as they see no reason to forbid what in actual may have some positive results.
Further, Melissa Miller, Nathan Brennan, Lacey Anderson, Jordyn Adcock, Amy Hill, and Marianne Judd (n.d. Slide 4, and Baldwin Sarah, 2002) opines that doping is not a recent phenomenon. They claim that in ancient Greek, athletes used mushroom and other herbs to make them strong especially during the Greek Olympics. However, they quickly note that the modern drugs are more potent than the ancient ones. It is clear the old doping “drugs” were mainly food or normal edible herbs. In the modern world, due to the powerful nature of the steroids, they pose a risk to the health of the athletes.
But, Savulescu, Foddy, and Clayton (2004) claims that such may not be the case since the drugs are usually effective at very low doses. Moreover, the prices set for the winners condemn the athletes to using an enhancement to win (Graham MR, Davies B, Grace FM, and Baker JS, 2012, p. 9). Savulescu and et al further noted that the war on doping has since failed as many athletes still use some doping.
Some of the opponents of use of the performance enhancing drugs claim that athletes serve as role models and can influence upcoming athletes. The young high school athletes copy the lifestyles of the leading athletes. Therefore, if they admit to using drugs, the young athletes grow up knowing that it is right and fair to use drugs. On the contrary, teen pressure to win in various aspects does not come from emulating others. The freedom of choice is the most critical aspect teens use to make a decision.
On top of that, the desire to take steroids is not necessarily to win. Others do so to attract girls. Others claim that the use of drugs make the sports fans lose interest since they perceive the competitors as not being genuine. But, Lincoln Allison (2004) contradicts this approach by stating that such a claim is not valid. Allison asserts that there is no correlation between the interests of spectators and the use of steroids.

Work cited

Baldwin Sarah. Performance Enhancing Drug Use in Olympic Sport: A Comparison of the United States and Australian Approaches. 2002. Accessed on 3 April, 2015 from <http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/loyint24&div=14&id=& page=>
Furehrt,M elissa Miller, Nathan Brenman, Lacey Anderson, Jordyn Adcock, Amy Hill, and Marianne Judd. Performance Enhancing drugs. (Slide 4). Web. Accessed on 3 April 2015 <https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&u act=8&ved=0CGMQFjAJ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnbrennan1.files.wordpress.com%2F2 012%2F05%2Fperformanceenhancingdrugs-presentation1.pptx&ei=XpseVcbxJMS2Ub- EgtgJ&usg=AFQjCNGpNgow3nKPaDDRksLQe9FfXJjs1Q&sig2=X54SK7e70oT3A87 R1XiUnw&bvm=bv.89947451,d.d24>
Graham MR, Davies B, Grace FM, and Baker JS. Exercise, Science and Designer Doping: <Traditional and Emerging Trends. 2012. Web. Accessed on 3 April, 2015 from http://omicsonline.org/exercise-science-and-designer-doping-traditional-and-emerging- trends-2161-0673.1000113.pdf>
Lincoln Allison. “Faster, Stronger, Higher” The Guardian August 9, 2004
Michael Wald. PROS AND CONS OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS (PEDs) – The basics. 2013. Integrated Medicine of Mt. Kisco. Web. Accessed on 3 April 2015 from <http://www.intmedny.com/integrated-medicine-blog/2013/01/26/pros-and-cons-of- performance-enhancing-drugs-peds-the-basics>
Mounk Yascha. Ban What Is Dangerous, Legalize What Is Not. The New York Times August 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on 3 April 2015 from <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/08/07/should-doping-be-allowed-in- sports/ban-what-is-dangerous-legalize-what-is-not>
Savulescu Julian. Permit Doping So We Can Monitor It. The New York Times. 7 August. 2012. Web. Accessed on 3 April 2015 from <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/08/07/should-doping-be-allowed-in- sports/permit-doping-so-we-can-monitor-it>
Savulescu, Foddy, and Clayton. Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport. 2004. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Accessed on 3 April 2015 from <http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/6/666.full>
Shepherd University. Steroids. Web. Accessed on April 3, 2015 from http://webpages.shepherd.edu/JMAY05/side_effects/prosandcons.html
U.S. Department of Justice. “Steroids Abuse Today’s Society.” Accessed on 3 April, 2015from <http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/steroids/professionals/>