Performance Enhancing Drugs Should Not Be Legalized
Performance enhancing drugs should not be legalized
‘Olympic track star Marion Jones was sentenced in a federal court to six months in prison.’ (Kelly and Rao, 2008) The reason why Jones was guilty is because of the use of performance enhancing drugs since 1999. More and more famous athletes prove to have used banned drugs to enhance their performance. At the same time, the role that the anti-doping agency is more and more important in the world wide games, such as Olympic Game, Tour de France. Nowadays, whether the performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) should be legalized has sparked a heated debate. However, the use of PEDs is morally wrong and it should be banned in sports. This essay will demonstrate three main points which explain the reasons why these drugs should be banned. Firstly, it is unfair on the athletes who do not use drugs to allow the use of PEDs in sports. Secondly, the behavior of using drugs in sports violates the spirit of sport. Finally, there are some health risks on using PEDs. This essay will also mention an argument which advocate the legalization of PEDs in sports and rebut the defect of the argument.
Firstly, athletes who use PEDs have an unfair advantage over the athletes who do not use PEDs. Using some kind of PEDs, the athletes can run faster, jump higher and recover from injury faster than the athletes who do not use drugs. Indeed, PEDs such as steroid could help athletes increase muscle size and strength. ‘Study involving the anabolic steroid showed that, muscular strength could be improved by 5-20%.’ (Foddy, 2004) Moreover, ‘Anabolic steroids may help athletes recover from a hard workout more quickly.’ (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006) In addition, Staff (2006) also point that these athletes may also have a more aggressive feeling in the games after using the drugs.
Secondly, the behavior of using PEDs is a violation to the spirit of sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency defined the spirit of sports as follows: health, fair play,
‘Olympic track star Marion Jones was sentenced in a federal court to six months in prison.’ (Kelly and Rao, 2008) The reason why Jones was guilty is because of the use of performance enhancing drugs since 1999. More and more famous athletes prove to have used banned drugs to enhance their performance. At the same time, the role that the anti-doping agency is more and more important in the world wide games, such as Olympic Game, Tour de France. Nowadays, whether the performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) should be legalized has sparked a heated debate. However, the use of PEDs is morally wrong and it should be banned in sports. This essay will demonstrate three main points which explain the reasons why these drugs should be banned. Firstly, it is unfair on the athletes who do not use drugs to allow the use of PEDs in sports. Secondly, the behavior of using drugs in sports violates the spirit of sport. Finally, there are some health risks on using PEDs. This essay will also mention an argument which advocate the legalization of PEDs in sports and rebut the defect of the argument.
Firstly, athletes who use PEDs have an unfair advantage over the athletes who do not use PEDs. Using some kind of PEDs, the athletes can run faster, jump higher and recover from injury faster than the athletes who do not use drugs. Indeed, PEDs such as steroid could help athletes increase muscle size and strength. ‘Study involving the anabolic steroid showed that, muscular strength could be improved by 5-20%.’ (Foddy, 2004) Moreover, ‘Anabolic steroids may help athletes recover from a hard workout more quickly.’ (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006) In addition, Staff (2006) also point that these athletes may also have a more aggressive feeling in the games after using the drugs.
Secondly, the behavior of using PEDs is a violation to the spirit of sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency defined the spirit of sports as follows: health, fair play,