Illegal Drug Use in Sports Drug testing in professional sports should be at random times and professional sports leagues should have stricter policies on drug testing. Performance enhancing drugs give professional athletes unfair advantages that are unfair to the athletes who do not use performance enhancing drugs. When athletes use performance enhancing drugs it affects their health and if they are caught when drug tested the athlete can face severe punishments. Consequently, if an athlete is caught using performance enhancing drugs it sends a negative message to young people that often look up to professional athletes. If drug testing was not required in professional sports, some athletes would gain an unfair advantage. Performance enhancing drugs have been used from all the way back to the Greek Olympics through present day. The first drug tests began in February 1968 at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.
"The IOC instituted its first compulsory doping controls at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France in 1968 and again at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City in the same year. At that time the list of banned substances issued in 1967 included narcotic analgesics and stimulants, which comprised sympathomimetic amines, psychomotor stimulants and miscellaneous central nervous system stimulants [including alcohol]. Although it was suspected that androgenic anabolic steroids were being used at this time, testing methods were insufficiently developed to warrant the inclusion of anabolic steroids in the list of banned substances" (Mottram).
In 1928, the first rules against doping in sports were established by the International Association of Athletes Federation (IAAF). “The IAAF, the governing body for track and field, became the first international sporting federation to prohibit doping by athletes” (Drugs in Sports/Doping Control). The NFL was the first professional league in American Sports League to conduct blood tests on athletes for performance enhancing drugs. The spokesman of the NFL stated, “there is no limit to how often a player can be tested for steroids and H.G.H. (Human Growth Hormone) during the season, and athletes can be tested up to six times in the off-season,” which shows the NFL is trying to take a stand against the use of performance enhancing drugs. After all, throughout the years the professional sports leagues and committees have started to crackdown on the use of performance enhancing drugs. The Government of the United States has begun to ban performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids and H.G.H. President Ronald Reagan was the first president to sign a bill banning the use and selling of steroids in the United States for non-medical purposes. “On November 18, 1988, President Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 outlawing the sale of steroids for non-medical purposes” (Assael, Keating). In 1990, Congress passed the Anabolic Steroids Control Act. “The Anabolic Steroids Control Act, which places steroids in the same legal class as Amphetamines, Methamphetamines, Opium and Morphine” (Associated Press). Since President Reagan, President George W. Bush is the first president to sign a bill banning performance enhancing drugs. “This bill which prohibits the use of gene doping and bans athletes from athletic competition for anyone who uses Genetic Modification for performance enhancement” (FOX News). In fact, the Government of the United States has put their say in the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. The people who disagree with drug tests deem them unfair and can be inaccurate. Athletes claim the drug tests are unfair, because the list of banned substances changes frequently. “They are deemed unfair by athletes because the athlete athletes are responsible for knowing what’s banned” (Aschwanden). Many athletes claim that a faulty test could damage their career. Professionals claim, “The test is 99% accurate” (Pound). Athletes are finding ways to avoid detection in drug tests now, which is why drug tests need to be more advanced to make sure athletes can not cover up using performance enhancing drugs in drug tests. “Frequent use of mashing drugs to avoid detection and the fact that savvy users carefully time their doses to pass drug tests,” this comes from Lorie Eber who is against drug tests on athletes. Certainly, drug tests could not be that faulty if professionals claim the test is 99% accurate and it is the athletes’ responsibility to know what is on the banned list. Performance enhancing drugs can cause many illnesses and can even cause death. The use of steroids can cause genetic mutation to cells and genes. “Results indicated that Oxandrolone was toxic to both cells and genes. It causes chromosomal damage to the white blood cells, resulting in cell death and cancer causing mutations” (Mangan). The use of performance enhancing drugs causes many physical changes in your body. “The use of PED’s decreases the ‘good’ cholesterol in the body, enlarges the left ventricle of your heart, increases the users blood pressure, these negative effects of the Cardiovascular System can lead to Stroke and many more health issues” (Barnard). PED’s cause a lot of psychological damages that can lead to mental disorders and death. Studies showed that, “user had greater occupation with weight and shape, and greater body dissatisfaction,” the study went on to say, “Users showed greater tendency towards depression, perfectionism and distrust. These profiles were associated with eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia. Users also have a higher chance of committing suicide” (Walsh). As has been noted, performance enhancing drugs cause many health issues and can lead to death. Drug testing should be stricter in professional sports, so some athletes do not gain advantages that are unfair. Certainly, athletes who do not use performance enhancing drugs should be at a disadvantage, because of the athletes who do use performance enhancing drugs. In fact, professional athletes such as Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong have been stripped of Hall of Fame nominations, titles, championships, and awards after being found guilty of using banned substances. Truly, using performance enhancing drugs is morally and ethically wrong.