Should Steroids Be Allowed In Sports

Words: 2113
Pages: 9

Butler1 “We know that the win-at-all costs culture in sport and in society as a whole has a direct impact on the health and well-being of young people.” Travis T. Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Athletes are faced daily with the need to win. From advertisements by Nike telling the athlete to, “Just Do It” to t-shirts telling the athlete to “Bring It”-athletes are placed in positions to win, sometimes at any cost. The pressure to win and gain status sometimes drives athletes to speed the body's natural process of developing strength and speed. Although there have been many safeguards put in place for prevention of competitive athletes using sports enhancement drugs, the question still remains - why do athletes use sports …show more content…
Sports enhancement drugs have been around for a very long time and are not isolated to an ethnic group or culture. Use of sports enhancements drugs can be very dangerous and harmful to the body. The fight against the use of these drugs began in 1976 with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banning the use of steroids (Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts). These drugs are used so that the athletes could gain more power than athletes they are competing against. Athletes take sports enhancement drugs because they want to be a “better player”, relieve stress, and to be a more productive player as they age. It is the innate desire to win, to be at the top of their individual sport that causes many athletes to resort to using sports-enhancement drugs. The use of sports enhancement drugs is not isolated to professional athletes. Many teens are faced with the choice daily to take sports enhancement drugs to increase their performance. It is important to understand the effects these drugs have on teens and the sports