Should Steroids be Legalized?
by Is it necessary to ban steroids? If adults can choose to smoke cigarettes then why can’t an adult choose to harm their body with steroids?
We have all been hearing and reading about the major steroid scandals that are rocking baseball and the track and field events of the Olympics. But how big is the problem? How pervasive are steroids in professional sports? No one ever hears about a star player being busted for taking steroids in football or basketball. What makes football and basketball different than baseball and track & field?
Is it necessary to ban steroids? If adults can choose to smoke cigarettes, scientifically proven to be harmful to your body, then why can’t an adult choose to harm their body with steroids? There are no simple answers to these questions. In fact you might be surprised to learn that many people argue that all substances should be legalized in sports. They believe that it will make the sport fairer because all athletes will have the availability to use steroids. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Steroids should not be allowed in sports because they provide a bad example for young athletes, they destroy an athlete’s body, they give advantage to certain players, and they ruin the true nature of the game.
One thing is clear among all people: steroids are especially bad for young athletes. They are part of a delusion among youth saying “if you only do this now you will be fine when you are older.” Steroids will ruin a young athlete’s life. They will leave an athlete with torn tendons and osteoarthritis. Adding to the negative effect among students is that steroids available to young athletes are of poorer quality than the steroids used in professional sports. This further enhances the issues caused by steroids.
Allowing steroids into sports will send a message to young athletes that it is ok to use them. They will think that because the pros are using them then it must be fine for “me” to use. No amount of regulation in young sports is going to stop that notion from entering into their minds. A professional baseball player should not be able to say “it’s ok for me to use it but not for you.” With this type of attitude professional sports will be extremely detrimental to our youth and lead to a culture of pills and injections.
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Post Commentclay hurtubise
On April 8, 2009 at 6:31 am
Nice piece. Steroids, like most drugs, have a list of pros and cons. As a pharmacist I would like to see regulations changed so that a body builder could go to a sports medicine Dr. and get an Rx: this would allow the Dr. to periodically measure liver and kidnty functions. These are serious drugs but can be safely if both the patient and Dr. are welll educated in their use.
Thanks,
Clay
monica55
On April 8, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I agree with you. Players in a game whether professional or not, should come to it with their natural strength. Spectators are not interested in seeing which player has the better drug, for that is what it comes down to when players are taking drugs. You have made the point very well.
Monica
hfj
On April 9, 2009 at 1:38 pm
It depends on if you want to hit a baseball 500 feet. Or put 300 pounds of muscle on a 5ft-10inch frame. Or run faster than any human has ever run. If so then we should legalize them. God point.
Rod Ferrandino
On April 10, 2009 at 8:30 am
Good stuff. It seems like it comes down to points of choice versus how responsibility we have to take care of those who won’t or can’t take care of themselves. I like your topic picks. I hope they have been successful.