Anabolic Steroid Use Must be Stopped

2126 Words5 Pages

Athletic competition has been part of society since the

early beginnings of man. Gladiators, wrestlers, and sprinters are some the

early types of athletes that competed. Mankind seems to have been born with a

desire to compete; every man feels the need to have dominance over another

man. These facts are even apparent in today's society. Now there are all kinds

of sports to choose from, and many of these sports are played at a

professional level. These sporting events give individuals that chance to be

the better of another person, just as the earlier ones did. That inbred desire

to dominate will lead men to do almost anything for victory. This is good in

many cases because it shows courage and perseverance; on the other hand, many

have taken it to the extreme of using outside agents to better their chances

for dominance. By this I mean, a large number of athletes use performance

enhancing drugs. "Athletes have taken natural or synthetic performance aids

since the earliest days of organized sports competition"(Clark, Cooper, and

Griffen, 525). The usage of performance enhancing drugs like steroids has

become too widespread and it needs to be stopped. The illegal production and

distribution of steroids should be halted.

The athletic community as a whole looks down upon the usage of such drugs. Many rules and

regulations have been created to cut down on the number of athletes that use

drugs to heighten their performances. The Olympics exemplify this strategy

very well. If an Olympic competitor admits or is tested positive for steroid

use the can be stripped of any medals won, or they can be disqualified from

all competition. A well remembered instance in which this occurred was when

the sprinter Ben Johnson won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash, but not to

long after he was denounced from his position as the worlds fastest man.

Professional and college football in the United States also takes this

approach to athletes caught using steroids. Football players may be fined or

suspended from playing in games for testing positive. Just last month three

National Football League players were suspended from the last four games of

their season because of testing positive for substances that were similar to

steroids. These are not the only events in which testing and penalties take

place. Many other sports test their athlete for steroid use.

Open Document