The Impact of Performance Enhancing Drugs on Sports Essay -- Steroids

The Impact of Performance Enhancing Drugs on Sports One of the major issues in the news recently has been the use of performance enhancing substances in sports. This topic has been the subject of many front-page headlines in many publications, from sports magazines to newspapers. A recent scandal involving a San Francisco Bay Area laboratory, BALCO Laboratories, has brought this issue to the forefront, and it's really gotten a lot of attention because this case has led to a 42 count federal indictment by the U.S. Attorney General.[1] Another question can be asked as well: Should these performance-enhancing substances be allowed in sports? First of all, what exactly are performance-enhancing substances? They are just what they are called: substances that are used for enhancing performance. The use of these substances is of particular concern to agencies that govern sports, especially amateur sports. Some examples of performance enhancers that are used are anabolic steroids, stimulants, diuretics, and other alternatives. Steroids are chemicals that are typically produced by the human body as a way to regulate various bodily functions. Anabolic versions are used to increase muscle mass and endurance.[2] Unfortunately, steroid and drug use in sports is nothing new. Until 2003, the most famous case of steroid use probably occurred at the 1988 Olympic Games. Some of you may remember the 100-meter race between U.S. athlete Carl Lewis and Canadian athlete Ben Johnson. After the race had been run, with Johnson emerging as the winner, a drug test was taken by Johnson and it came out positive for steroids, meaning that he would have to forfeit his gold medal.[3] Another famous, and more recent, example occurred in 1... ...Chemist, 2003, ESPN 29 Feb 2004, http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2003/1112/1659917.html [11] Ashley 22. [12] ?U.S.: Drug Ring Aided Top Jocks,? San Francisco Chronicle 13 Feb 2004:A1 [13] ?Drugs Involved In BALCO Case,? San Francisco Chronicle 13 Feb 2004:A23. Both drugs named here are covered by this endnote. [14] ?Drugs Involved In BALCO Case,? San Francisco Chronicle 13 Feb 2004:A23. [15] United States Anti-Doping Agency. Guide to Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods of Doping. 2004. http://www.usantidoping.org/files/USADA_Guide.pdf [16] Rachels, John. ?The Elements of Moral Philosophy.? p. 92 [17] Rachels 108. [18] Kowalski 13. [19] Rachels 202. [20] Rachels 121. Also see Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant, 1875. [21] Rachels 173-4. [22] Rachels 174. [23] Schnirring 16. [24] Schnirring 16.