Should Doping Be Allowed in Sport
The occurrence of performance enhancing drugs in sport and what they mean to the social activity
Savreet Saini
20389276
TA: William
KIN 250
March 18th, 2013.
Since the 1960s, following World War II, there has been an augmented use of illicit drugs by athletes (soc notes). Doping, commonly defined as the use of a drug or blood product to improve athletic performance, is one of the most controversial matters in modern sport (lawref). There are arguments for both the acceptance and ban on the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport, with both sides having reasonable justification for their belief. Some argue that using such drugs would take away from the spirit of the sport, while others believe enhancing performance through any means is the spirit of sport and that wanting to be better is a part of being human (ethics). Nowadays, it is very common to use drugs to relieve pain, enhance performance, alertness, and so on. So, why is the use of drugs in sport such a big deal in society? And how did it become such a commonality? Over the years, sport has evolved due to a number of social processes, which have contributed to the increased extent of doping in this social activity (soc notes). Sports have become far more competitive, and there have been higher stakes placed on competitions and performance by governments and sponsors, resulting in increased pressure on athletes’ performance. With greater advancements in technology and medicine, the development of performance enhancing drugs served as a means of relieving some of the pressures on athletes to become better, and essentially have greater chances of winning. The question still lies in whether or not this method of improvement would alter the meaning of sport.
Every country has the desire to be well known around the world, and gaining this identity is much harder for smaller less developed countries, compared to the more developed ones. Following World War II, governments had discovered a new way of
Savreet Saini
20389276
TA: William
KIN 250
March 18th, 2013.
Since the 1960s, following World War II, there has been an augmented use of illicit drugs by athletes (soc notes). Doping, commonly defined as the use of a drug or blood product to improve athletic performance, is one of the most controversial matters in modern sport (lawref). There are arguments for both the acceptance and ban on the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport, with both sides having reasonable justification for their belief. Some argue that using such drugs would take away from the spirit of the sport, while others believe enhancing performance through any means is the spirit of sport and that wanting to be better is a part of being human (ethics). Nowadays, it is very common to use drugs to relieve pain, enhance performance, alertness, and so on. So, why is the use of drugs in sport such a big deal in society? And how did it become such a commonality? Over the years, sport has evolved due to a number of social processes, which have contributed to the increased extent of doping in this social activity (soc notes). Sports have become far more competitive, and there have been higher stakes placed on competitions and performance by governments and sponsors, resulting in increased pressure on athletes’ performance. With greater advancements in technology and medicine, the development of performance enhancing drugs served as a means of relieving some of the pressures on athletes to become better, and essentially have greater chances of winning. The question still lies in whether or not this method of improvement would alter the meaning of sport.
Every country has the desire to be well known around the world, and gaining this identity is much harder for smaller less developed countries, compared to the more developed ones. Following World War II, governments had discovered a new way of
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