The issue of drug use is not a new problem, and for many it is not considered a problem, rather an integral part of athletics. Ken Caminiti, a former steroid user in MLB encourages drug use because it is necessary for ball players and other athletes looking for a competitive edge, and financial security (Verducci). Charlie Francis, a track coach banned for life from Athletics Canada for training

“You are offered a banned performance-enhancing substance that comes with two guarantees: 1) You will not be caught. 2) You will win every competition you enter for the next five years, and then you will die from the side effects of the substance. Would you take it? More than half the athletes said yes.” (Bamberger and Yaeger, 100)

Many dangers are involved with taking steroids. Possible side effects to males include impotence, development of breasts and shrinking testicles. Females usually experience more “masculinizing” effects like, growth of facial hair, and breast reduction (Anabolic Steroids). These conditions are only temporary and users return to normal when steroid use is stopped. Other health conditions brought on by these drugs are irreversible and can be life threatening. Some effects for both males and females are increased blood pressure, liver damage and cancers, and aching joints (Anabolic Steroids). Despite these risks among many others, athletes continue to use drugs. In a survey from a 1997 poll of U.S. Olympians and aspiring Olympians, 198 athletes were given a scenario to see how they would respond to it. The following is the scenario that was offered to them.

This cannot be the right way to enter the challenging world of professionals. A drafted football player from a High School to a NFL (National Football League) team can already rely on the use of drugs to reach success. If that is the way he started at his younger age. It is basically a whirlpool, if you see results the first time you do it, why not do it again? An athlete needs to understand the spirit and the authenticity of sports. Competition and self-challenge is one of the biggest role in success in sports. Victory is enjoyed a lot more when the victorious athlete knows he worked hard to earn his trophy. Sports are not about how much liquid is in your syringe, they are about how much heart you have in you. The more money one is willing to spend, the better the drugs he can get. The key to that is also that money controls one’s performance. This once again, completely defeats the purpose of sports. Money controls stock market, not sports.

In order to protect the health of our athletes, and to keep sports and competition real, the ban on drug use must be continued. If not the purpose of sport becomes obsolete. Instead of athletes competing on the field to determine who is better, it would be based on who the better chemist is with the best laboratory, or which country has the most money put into the development of new drugs. There must be stronger actions taken to ban all drug use, with constant random testing, not just at meets and before competitions. For the sake of the health o

Some topics in this essay:
Francis Coplon, Robert Simon, Blood Tests, Football League, Ben Johnson, Steroids Despite, Bamberger Yaeger, Anabolic Steroids, Sports Psychologist, Baseball MLB, blood tests, francis coplon, world records, bamberger yaeger, ban drug, health athletes, ban drug continued, anabolic steroids, sports competition, win drugs, decline standards, national football league,