- Spencer Sussman
Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) have always been a major ethical issue in sports. The use of PEDs in sports, dates all the way back to when the Ancient Greeks used viscus opium juice as their drug of choice during the original olympic games. The first use of effective PEDs in the modern sports era were amphetamines: drugs that were commonly used by soldiers during WWII to minimize the feelings of fatigue. Since then, the use of steroids, HGH, testosterone and other PED’s have exploded throughout the sports world, allowing athletes to achieve new athletic feats while also causing detrimental side effects. Professional sports leagues and competitions such as the MLB and Tour de France have attempted to crack down on doping incidents, with tougher restrictions and more frequent drug tests. However, some argue this is an ineffective way to handle the epidemic and call for a radical change to the governing of the issue: a complete legalization of PEDs.
Why would anyone argue for a legalization of PEDs? There are many answers to this question. First, PEDs make sports more fun to watch. PEDs make athletes stronger, faster and create an overall higher level of play. Who wouldn’t want to see 600 ft home runs in baseball or even more impressive dunking in the NBA? There is a reason why the MLB got some of its best ratings during the steroid era of Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa. These higher rating would all for sports league executives to make even more money, which is certainly a reason they should consider legalizing PEDs. Secondly, this would be an easy way to level the playing field without having to spend millions on drug testing each year. While leagues have implemented rules to deter doping in any way they can, it is clear these measures have not deterred athletes from “juicing”, as athletes are suspended every year for PED use. It is more than likely that there are many athletes who have not been caught yet or who were never caught. Altogether, legalizing PEDs may just be the easiest way to ensure no athlete has an unfair advantage.
On the other hand, there is one clear reason why many people argue against PED legalization in sports: negative health effects. It is often argued that if PEDs are legalized, then it is basically forcing all athletes to take them, as not taking them would give a competitive disadvantage athletes can’t afford. PEDs are known to have many bad long term health effects, such as heart and liver damage and increased risk of blood clots. PEDs have additional negative effects on adolescents, such as stunting growth. Many argue that putting athletes in a position where they are forced to take PEDs and suffer these consequences does not seem fair.
The issue of PEDs is certainly a difficult topic that should continue to be debated by the ethical minds of Fieldston students.
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