In sports, these performance-enhancing drugs, or "doping" has a long history. One case was in 1904 when a marathon runner nearly died from a mixture of brandy and strychnine (a substance that acts as a stimulant)(Peck 13). This incident happened 98 years a go and now it is 2002 and drug use in sports is still an issue.
Today we can just go back a few years ago to 1998 when it was announced that our very own St. Louis pitcher Mark McGwire was using androstenedione (a compound that boosts male sex hormone testorone). Although this was 4 years ago it shows that drugs usage in sports is still a problem.
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Dr. Bob Goldman asked, "If I had a magic drug that was so fantastic that if you took it once you would win every competition for the next five years, but it had one minor drawback- it would kill you five years after you took it- would you still take the drug?"(Harris 87).
When this question was asked, over a hundred athletes or fifty two percent said yes. Even though Dr. Goldman realized that both the question and the answers were hypothetical it convinced him that they really would take the drug if they had the chance (Harris 87).
This research, on top of the proven fact that are well acknowledged pitcher Mark McGwire used drugs shows that drug use still is a big problem in our society today. These athletes just don't realize what drugs can do to their bodies and their reputations with the public. Athletes today that are taking drugs to enhance their performance are not only impairing their own bodies, but also cheating other athletes and the public.
Athletes should have the right to accept the risks and benefits of enhancing drugs just like everyday people who take drugs like Viagra and Prozac without apology. But the question is does enhancing drugs include illegal drugs such as steroids and cocaine?.
I think that if the athletes want the rights to take illegal drugs then the government should say, "Sure you can have the right to take them and when you get caught you have the right to remain silent.