Steroids in Sporting Events

     Prior to taking this class, I must admit I was a little niiave to the steroid use in sports. First off, I did not realize to what extent steroids were in use to enhance performance and additionally, to what a wide-range athletic enhancing drugs had spread. There is no clear distinction between steroids and numerous other drugs such as the Human-growth hormone, cocaine, or beta-blockers. After watching the video today in class, my stance on steroids has changed. I initially condemned them, as short-cuts, ways to avoid hard-work. But I now feel those athletes who use steroids are the ones most dedicated.

    I would not go so far as to say steroids should be legalized in all sporting events. I still feel it undermines the core aspects of sporting events. But times are changing. The things our "founding fathers" anticipate never end up the way they plan anyway. For instance that is why we created the Constitution. The Articles of Confederation did not allow for change in America, which we now see is so clearly needed. Why then should the same concept not be applied to sports? I think people need to be able to reason with the idea of steroid use in sports. However, I think regulation of these steroids must increase. If governmental regulation is not increased, I feel people are more likely to get hurt by the effects of steroid use.

    A large number of people take steroids. These range from professional athletes to local gym enthusiasts; from both old to young. One would think since steroids are illegal people would have trouble getting their hands on them, but that is not true. High-school students even are getting them. And with all the pressure from coaches and parents to get stronger and bigger faster, they see steroids as a quick turn to. I mean its your football season junior year, one of the last opportunities your going to have to make yourself known to college coaches. Why not injects some steroids, bulk yourself up to stand out against everyone else. For many people, I feel the problem of steroids is the worry of health problems. This is valid concern. Yet, most of the results show steroid has more short-term effects than long-term, and these short-term consequences are reversible if someone stops taking the steroids.  Others may say, injecting yourself with drugs is cheating. The whole concept of sports is competition and creating an advantage against you and your opponent. Steroids are not alternatives to hard-work and practice. They may actually help an athlete to work harder because they allow them to see the effects more rapidly.

  In conclusion, I am not necessarily saying yes let us legalize steroids in sports. I am now much more open to the idea, and I think others should at least view the argument from both sides. It is so easy to take the route saying steroids are drugs and drugs are cheating. However, I think the steroid world needs to be viewed from two different angles. If it was greatly regulated I feel any potential long-term consequences of the drugs would be realized and we could exclude that product from the steroid. Now doing it all illegally and behind closed doors, humans are more likely to hurt themselves.