Drug use in sports

Ben Johnson drew attention in 1988 when he had his gold medal stripped for doping. Upon being questioned he said that he was trying to level the field, insinuating that all athletes use drugs. Since that time, the spotlight has been shone on doping in sports. There have been debates on whether steroids should be allowed in sports or not. This paper focuses on the use of steroids in baseball. It took a Canseco’s book, Juiced, released in 2005 to draw attention to the steroid pandemic that had gripped the baseball. Major League Baseball began investigating players who used steroids and put in place rules that deterred players from using performance-enhancing drugs. Despite the efforts MLB to ban steroid use, it was still I use by players.

The questions that are being asked about steroid use in baseball are whether it should be banned or allowed to be used in baseball. Despite the ban, it is still being used by players who are even getting suspended to date (Hodges, 2014). In sports, a level playing field is often encouraged to ensure the competitiveness of the sport. However, the proponents of legalization argue that the field should be leveled through legalization of steroids. They also posit that human beings have been driven by the desire to perform at an optimum level. As such the drugs should be made available or everyone interested in improving their performance (Callahan, 2007). Another reason given by people opposing the legalization is that people are hypocritical when it comes to the use of drugs.

They also say that steroid use has adverse side effects on people who use. Lastly, those who are against posit that steroid use distorts records. It all boils down to the fair competition. Athletes who are using steroids are bound to do better than those who don’t and may end up performing better than others. They may even break records in the process, and all this at the expense of those who do not use drugs to enhance their performance. The use of performance enhancing drugs have altered the way people perceive achievement. The alteration comes with the fact that the media saturated the space with discussions about how athletes use drugs to boost their performance. The mention of athletic success among some athletes isn’t associated with human ability but rather the fact that they used drugs to attain that level of success (Crincoli, 2008).

The use of drugs is motivated by the desire to achieve success. Just like Jose Canseco, many athletes are willing to do everything to achieve success. Major League Baseball has suspended many players involved in the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Players have been suspended for fifty games or more when they are found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. It was only Rodriquez who was suspended for 211 games, which were later reduced t 160 for his refusal to cooperate with Major League Baseball in sharing information about doping. The contracts baseball sign players are enormous since some contracts are 10 million dollars a year. A player will risk using steroid just for a lucrative contract.  (2007) The cheating culture: Why more Americans are doing wrong to get ahead.