Performance Enhancing Drugs - Athletes Should Be Allowed To Use Them
The purpose of this article is to show that that athletes should be allowed to use performance drugs in order to enhance their performance. In his article, he stated that since sports has changed dramatically over the years, athletes should be allowed to do what is necessary to keep up in the millennium era.
In American society, there are some who have a tendency to try to regulate the morals of other individuals by enacting laws that bans certain products and services. If an athlete feels that his or her performance will be improved by using performance enhancing drugs, the person in question should be allowed to do so because it is his or her body.
Although these drugs are known to have side effects such as the shrinking of the male genitalia area, the shrinking of breasts in females, and possible death, most of these athletes are adults and although it may be against the common consensus, the right to use these type of drugs is a personal lifestyle choice.
I know several alcoholics whose health and lives has been destroyed because of alcohol. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances on the planet and it is legal. Although the 18th Amendment was enacted many years ago, it was ultimately repealed because it was an unpopular law. Just because something is illegal or banned, does not mean that people will not find a way to get around it.
Secondly, the line between what is considered natural and unnatural in performance enhancement is too blurred. Depending on the amount of money an athlete possesses, different types of “special” vitamins, athletic equipment, exercise clothing, training instructors, and doctors can be purchased to enhance an athlete’s performance.
These advantages give an unnatural advantage to athletes who possess unlimited funds, leaving poor athletes at a disadvantage. Since the line is blurred between natural and unnatural aids to boost athletic performance, there should be no special distinction between the two.
Lastly, in concurrence with Brown, the sports genre has changed dramatically in the last fifty years. It is not about the thrill of the sport; it is about monetary gain. Athletes can make millions of dollars with various product endorsements and sports contracts. Because of this, most athletes are going to do everything in their power to keep the riches that have flowed into their bank coffers by doing whatever it takes to keep up physically. Sports is competitive by nature and now athletes compete against each other for the most money.
In conclusion, the ultimate decision to use performance enhancing drugs belongs to the athlete. Although some argue that performance enhancing drugs hurts the competitive spirit of sports, endangers the lives of athletes and give those who use these drugs an unfair edge, life is not fair. It is not fair that athletes make millions of dollars while teachers have to fight to receive a raise. No one raises ethical issues about boxers who receive blows to the head while competing and try to enact a ban on boxing. The right to use performance enhancing drugs is a personal choice and should be kept that way.
Tags: Athletes, Performance Drugs
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