Performance Enhancing Drugs Should Not Be Legalized Essay Example

from a hard workout more quickly. ’ (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006) In addition, Staff (2006) also point that these athletes may also have a more aggressive feeling in the games after using the drugs.Secondly, the behavior of using PEDs is a violation to the spirit of sport.

The World Anti-Doping Agency defined the spirit of sports as follows: health, fair play, honesty, respect for self and others, courage and dedication. (WADA, 2005) Obviously, the use of PEDs violates this spirit which characterizes the values of sport. The athletes who use drugs are cheating. They disobey the law and escape the punishment due to the advanced technology which makes it harder to detect the drugs. So, more and more athletes choose to improve their performance by this way.Furthermore, athletes show no respect to themselves and spectators if they take in drugs before the competition.

Maybe they do not believe that they have the ability to achieve good results after hard training or can not bear the pressure of failure due to less training. What the spectators want to see is the real ability of the athletes though they also want to watch excellent competitions. In addition, the athletes who use drugs will never experience the joy and fun during the competitions and training.For the athletes who want to use drugs in games, what they are thinking about is only the medals, awards and money, they never really think of the significance of sports so they cannot enjoy the process of the competitions and training. Thirdly, many serious side effects and health risks are involved with using PEDs. The benefits of these drugs are really not worth

the risks.

‘It is already known that steroids cause liver damage, heart attacks and strokes. ’ (Mirkin, 2007) What’s worse, these drugs harm not only the athletes themselves but also harm their children.Mirkin (2007) said that, through a study on the children of the athletes who use PEDs, ‘more than 25 percent had allergies and 23 percent had asthma. ’ In addition, the long-term effects of PEDs may lead to death.

Lyle Alzado, who is a famous NFL defensive lineman, died from brain cancer caused by anabolic steroids. Alzado (1992) admitted his using anabolic steroids, ‘I started taking anabolic steroids in 1969 and never stopped. It was addicting, mentally addicting. ’ Professor Julian Saculescu (2007), a practical ethicist at Oxford University thought that drugs should be legalized in sports.He believed that the problem which a growing number of athletes use banned drugs and received a punishment can be resolved by legalizing some drugs.

Caffeine had banned for many years in sports before and lots of athletes were punished because of it but it was found to be safe and fair to use so it was legalized later. This is what should be done in today and there will be no cheating to use these drugs. However, it will be controversial that how to determine which drug should be legalized. No matter which kind of drug is legalized, it must be cost a lot to buy it, unfortunately, the athletes comes from poor counties can not afford it.So, the competitions will not only on the field but also in the economy, it is apparently unreasonable.

In addition, it is also a kind of escapism to resolve

the problem by legalizing drugs. In conclusion, the use of PEDs should not be legalized. Obviously, the advantage comes from drugs is unfair; it not follow the spirit of sports; using these drugs is not safe. All the competitions and athletes should be “clean”. What the athletes should do is to train hard to enhance their skills, strength and endurance. Meanwhile, they should enjoy the period of training and competition and experience the joy which the sports bring.

898 words) Reference list Kelly J and Rao M, 2008, Track star Marion Jones sentenced to 6 months, CNN, viewed 25 May 2008 www. cnn. com/2008/CRIME/01/11/jones. doping/index. html Foddy B, 2004, Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport, viewed 24 May 2008 www. practicalethics.

ox. ac. uk/Staff/Director%20Julian%20Savulescu/Publications/BJSM/Drugs_in_Sport. pdf Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006, Taking performance-enhancing drugs: Are you risking your health? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, viewed 25 May 2008 http://www. mayoclinic.

om/health/performance-enhancing-drugs/HQ01105 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), 2005, WADA Athlete Committee Position on Sanctions, viewed 27 May 2008 http://www. wada-ama. org/rtecontent/document/WADA_AC_7November2005_attach2. pdf Dr. Mirkin G, 2007, Harm from Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Dr.

Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine, viewed 24 May 2008 http://www. drmirkin. com/public/ezine120207. html Alzado L, 1992, The NFL meat grinder: US pro football player dies in training camp, World Socialist Web Site. Viewed 26 May 2008.

http://www. wsws. org/articles/2001/aug2001/nfl-a10. shtml