On January 17, 2013 Lance Armstrong admitted to the world in an interview with Oprah that he had spent his career taking performance enhancing drugs and had been using them during many of his Tour de France wins.  Unfortunately, Armstrong was not the first, or the last famous athlete to be caught. Athletic events such as the Tour de France have become an integral part of society providing its members with healthy competition and an opportunity to bond. People become very invested in their “home” sports teams, and many develop weekly rituals with their families and friends to watch. They purchase apparel to show their pride and even decorate their houses as a display of support. Due to this, sports teams for both college and professional level rack in millions of dollars every year, putting pressure on their owners, coaches, and players to perform at sometimes impossible standards. Many athletes buckle under this pressure in similar ways to Armstrong, and abuse steroids in order to become the best of the best in their specialty to not only please the fans but to win a title or medal. 

 Athletes in the spotlight often feel they have no option but to take steroids, and without doing proper research beforehand, they are unware of the harm they doing to their bodies. In addition, an athlete taking steroids is technically cheating, and the overall dismissal of it occurring has allowed an acceptance of cheating to enter the sports world. This led me to develop my research question; Should steroid remain banned in athletic competition, and what can be done to make the process more rigid.  At the moment, steroids are banned and an athlete who continues to take them can face legal action as well as expulsion from their league. Unfortunately, however this process is often not closely regulated so few get caught or actually receive punishment. Due to this, I believe that the use of steroids should remain banned from athletic competition due to the poor health effects and the way they have changed the integrity of sports. In addition, I believe that further action should be taken against those caught taking steroids and that the drug abuse in sports should be more closely regulated with the hope of lowering the number of athletes who still continue to take steroids. 

Steroids, specifically anabolic-androgen steroids, were introduced to sports many years ago, but the industry would have been better off without ever having heard of them. Steroids are synthetic drugs of the hormone testosterone, (Millman & Ross 2) which naturally occurs in the bodies of men, and is found in very low quantities in women (Buckman, et al. 4). People, more specifically athletes, are drawn to this type of steroid because the testosterone found in it assists in building muscle mass and can be taken to help increase endurance as well as overall performance in competition (Pope, et al. 1). Steroids in a general sense were first created for a medical use in the hopes of fighting infection and disease however they were introduced to sports around the 1900’s (Historical). The act of “doping” or abusing controlled substances in sports, can be traced all the way back to the ancient Greeks who used herbal remedies for big events such as the Olympic games (Yu-Hsuan 11). Steroids continued to be used by athletes throughout history, and their popularity grew amongst athletes as competition became fiercer. The topic was then brought to a larger platform when an Olympic cyclist died as a result of amphetamine abuse (Historical). This occurred on August 26, 1960 and was a huge shock to the majority of the world, which was living in the dark about the extent of doping in sports (Historical). This led to the first unified initiative to prevent doping, started by the International Olympic Committee which instilled a test to identify amphetamines and other drugs, however it was only given to cyclists (Yu-Hsuan 24). It was not until steroid use became more transparent in other Olympic sports that solving the problem as a whole was a made a priority. 

A steroid free environment was necessary for the health of all athletes as well as the integrity of all athletes especially at the Olympic level.  The next big initiative was again made by the IOC, which tested every athlete at the 1972 Munich Olympics for trace amounts of substances. With the help of this test, 8 athletes were banned explicitly for steroid use (Historical). The IOC then upped the punishment and stripped 100-meter dash winner Ben Johnson of his gold medal when his drug test came back positive in 1988 (Yu-Hsuan 24). What hugely impacted the anti-doping movement was when President Reagan signed into action the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, outlawing the sale of steroids for non-medical purposes (Historical). This action provided the movement with legal backing and made the consequence of being caught not only buying and using steroids, but providing them much more real. One of the most recent initiatives was made by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 1999 with the hopes of created a “doping” free environment in sports (WADA). This was, and still is conducted by releasing a list of banned substances from athletic competition with the threat that if any of these substances are found in a drug test, the athlete who has taken them will be banned from competition (WADA). As of 2013, this movement is backed by 173 different countries as well as the International Olympic Committee (WADA).  Although these were all monumental steps in the fight against sports doping, steroid abuse has continued to steadily increase despite legal action taken against those caught with steroids and public humiliation of those banned from competition for cheating. 

Modern scientific technology has provided the conversation surrounding steroids with two completely polar opposite sides. The side against athletes taking steroids, which is what I will be presenting, supports the argument that participating in the use of performance enhancing drugs directly leads to many negative health effects which has been backed by many scientific studies. These negative effects far outweigh any health benefits that can be seen from taking anabolic steroids and if athletes and trainers did proper research on what can happen to the body, many of them may regret their decision to participate in doping (Hamidi, et al. 54). In addition, by allowing athletes to get away with taking steroids and to just slip under the radar when they are caught has attributed to a competitive environment that not only fosters, but teaches cheating. The argument for the use of steroids states that steroids should be legal because of the entertainment it brings to sports. The pro-steroid side acknowledges the fact that people have been cheating the system since the beginning of drug tests, so they believe that instead of just legalizing steroids, everyone who competes professionally should be forced to take steroids (Gendin). In addition, this side of the argument takes the economic viewpoint and explains that more action in sports leads to more revenue from sports teams which leads to more money being fluctuated through the economy (Smith). Despite the fact that both sides contradict one another, they are at least able to come to the same conclusion; there is currently a problem with steroid use in sports, and a solution needs to be formed to fix it. 

When drawn towards steroids, many young athletes do not consider the long term adverse effects that can result from takings steroids which is a huge mistake. They are instead often narrowly looking at only the short term benefits that steroids can provide them; the attention of a college or professional coach, a state or national title, and the benefits and respect that come with being the best. There have been many studies conducted on the effects of steroid abuse over the course of the past ten years that along with general medical and technological advances have proven that steroids can, and often do, negatively impact the body. In addition, by still accepting professional athletes who are caught using steroids, and the hushed abuse of steroids by both college level and professional athletes, an acceptance of cheating has been fostered into athletic competition and instilled as acceptable in the minds of young athletes. 

Injecting the body with steroids has proven to be incredibly detrimental in many ways. Long term health effects have been directly linked to the use of steroids, and steroids have even been found to be a gateway drug. A study was done on NCAA athletes that is one of the most impactful, because it displays the effects of the introduction of steroids at a young age. This study found that when comparing male undergraduates who abused steroids to male undergraduates who had never taken steroids there is an alarming difference (Buckman, et al. 2013). A total of 11,556 student athletes were surveyed, and approximately 11,003 of them reported having taken anabolic steroids at some point in their career (Buckman, et al. 2013). The study also found that college athletes who had abused steroids reported taking narcotics they were not prescribed and drinking more frequently than those who had not taken steroids (Buckman, et al. 2013). These narcotic included marijuana, OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet, cigarettes, and cocaine (Buckman, et a.l 2013). This leads to anabolic steroids being considered a gateway drug, and that those who take them are at risk for substance abuse behaviors in relation to alcohol and all recreational drugs (Buckman, et al. 2013). This was a self-reported survey, so that data should be perceived with some skepticism, but the number of athletes who not only reported taking steroids but also are at risk for substance abuse throughout the rest of their lives is alarming. 

In addition to leading to addiction, steroids can cause irreversible damage to the body.  A second study was conducted on both professional and non-professional weightlifters to see the certain health effects that abusing performance enhancing drugs led to (Pope, et al. 2014). This research found that the most alarming effects were those on the cardiovascular system and the psychiatric effects (Pope, et al. 2014). The effects on the cardiovascular included abnormalities in heartbeat, weakening and destruction of heart tissue, plaque buildup in the arteries connected to the heart, and even the death of 4 participants in the study (Pope, et al. 2014). The psychological effects of steroid abuse can fall under the behaviors described by the common term “roid rage”. Participants in the study recorded experiencing a wide range of symptoms including increased amounts of aggression, hypo-maniac symptoms, depression, as well violent and uncharacterized aggression when they had taken steroids (Pope, et al. 2014). This study was furthered by injecting mice with anabolic-androgen steroids and observing what specifically happened to them. The rats exhibited the same behavioral changes that the men recorded strengthening the evidence. In addition, these were not symptoms previously seen in the mice prior to the intake of steroids, so it is irrefutable that these changes were directly influenced by the use on anabolic steroids (Pope, et al. 2014). 

In addition to the negative health effects that steroid abuse presents, the use of steroids fosters an environment that accepts cheating. As seen in the NCAA study, around 95% of the athletes surveyed have participated in drug use to enhance their athletic performance (Buckman, et al 2013).  This means that if this data were representative to the whole NCAA association and all the student athletes included in it, 437,000 out of 460,000 have participated in steroid abuse during some point of their athletic career. In addition, many famous athletes such as New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez, cyclist Lance Armstrong, and tennis player Maria Sharapova. All of these athletes faced consequences as a result of being caught, yet are still respected by many and considered some of the greatest athletes of all time.  In addition, athletes have been fooling the drug test given even at the Olympic level since they were first implemented (Yu-Hsuan, 2006). Because athletes continue to take steroids, the level of competition continues to gradually increase. Student athletes often no longer feel that they have a chance at playing in college much less the professional level unless they turn to doping (Hamidi, et al. 2017). Those who do turn to doping have an unfair advantage over those who attempt to compete without the aid of drugs, creating cycle of more and more people becoming involved in an athletic world where steroids are accepted if not promoted. This cycle has destroyed the integrity of sports all together and changed the way good athletes are cultivated. 

The main supporters of the legalization of steroids and increased acceptance of them are economists. The main argument they make to refute the one against steroid use is that they make athletic events more interesting. As previously stated, sports are a million, if not billion, dollar industry due to the dedication many people show towards supporting and watching their team. If steroids are allowed, the level of competition will increase, the athletes will become more skilled and better at their specialty, and more people will watch (Frisch 2012).  In this TED talk, Frisch even goes so far as to argue for the enforcement of steroids. He states that doing so will create a large economic boom because of the money that will be fluctuating from the purchase of apparel, tickets, and from donors (Frisch 2012). This idea is further supported by Chris Smith a writer for Forbes. Smith says that by lifting the ban on steroids, the economy will be in better shape due to the movement of money and the number of job openings that will increase since sports franchises will grow (Smith). Frisch also argues the ban should be removed because so many respected athletes have lost their championship titles when they worked just as hard as everyone else, if not harder because they were willing to take the extra step (Frisch). 

The opposition to the argument against steroids takes the idea of allowing steroids a step further by saying that athletes should be forced to take them in order to compete. In article written in the journal Opposing Viewpoints the author, Sidney Gendin, makes the argument that everyone in sports should be REQUIRED to take steroids in order to participate. Gendin states that doing so will increase the entertainment of sports and allow the “better” athletes the spotlight and that instead of banning those caught taking steroids, those who perform poorly should be banned. By banning inferior performances, people will not be wasting their money on watching them, and therefore can spend it on more relevant things (Gendin). The article uses the supporting argument that a men’s basketball team has a much larger crowd and fan base than a women’s basketball team and that that the answer to this is simply that men’s basketball is more interesting (Gendin). Because men’s basketball is more aggressive, higher-scoring, and faster paced, it draws more fans than a women’s team (Gendin). By making everyone take steroids, the level of sports will move from women’s basketball to men’s which will make it more interesting to watch and bring in more money. 

If an athlete is not turned away from steroids simply by the negative health effects, then they are still risking their career with the potential of getting caught.  Athletes are tested for steroids through drugs test administered at competition randomly or due to suspicion. An athlete pees in two cups; if the first is negative both samples are thrown away and the athlete is innocent (WADA). If the first sample is positive for drugs, the second sample is also tested to make sure the first is not a fluke, and then the athlete if found either guilty or innocent (Yu-Hsuan, 29). If an athlete is found guilty of doping, the consequences depend on what league her or she is a part of (WADA). Legal consequence can range from fines to five years in prison for trafficking drugs (Steroid). Typically, however, an athlete receives a fine and a suspension from competition. In order to compare the difference between consequences for each league, the MLB and NFL can be looked at. For the MLB, a first time offense results in a 50 game suspension, whereas a third time offense results in a permanent ban (Yu-Hsuan, 32). For the NFL, a first time offense results in a four game suspension while a third time offense results in a one-year suspension (Yu-Hsuan, 31). These consequences are drastically more lenient than those of the MLB. In addition, the NFL provides warning to their athletes before they are tested, whereas the MLB spontaneously test their athletes five times a year (Yu-Hsuan, 32).

It is leagues such as the NFL, which do not enforce strict policy that encourage the use of steroid abuse. Because they make it so easy for their athletes to use steroids and not get caught, they are encouraging them to abuse steroids. Even the punishments found in the NFL are not serious enough to scare athletes out of doping. In addition, when an athlete test positive for a banned substance, they are given another test and must be found with drugs in their system again before they receive any punishment (Yu-Hsuan, 29). In order to fix the problem all together and make sporting events safer for those involved, steroids need to be eliminated from the picture altogether. This requires stricter, more set in stone laws like the ones in place for the MLB. In order for change to happen, athletes need to receive larger consequences so that they are deterred from participating in the action all together. This would need backing from law enforcement that will make sure that athlete to receive legal punishment if they are found guilty of doping. In addition, athletes should be completely banned on their second, if not first offense instead of their third or simply receiving a lengthened suspension. In order for this all to become a possibility, new technology and more accurate drug tests need to be invented so that false positives do not happen, False positives allow athletes a second chance at being tested, when the drugs could then be out of their system. This may not be a possibility at the moment, but hopefully as awareness of the extent of this problem grows, more people will become opposed to the laws set in place and fight for stricter ones. 

Although this problem may seem small in comparison to the real world or to anyone not interested in sports, it could one day effect your life. At some point, you may choose to get married and start a family, and if not someone close to you most likely will. The children that are born from this generation, who become involved in sports can be directly impacted by the growth of steroids in competition. If it is not stopped now, the pressure that athletes currently feel to take steroids will be increased, and the age at which they become involved with performance enhancing drugs will gradually lower. As all athletes become better, stronger, and more skilled, the ones coming after them will need to take steroids as well in order to be on the same level. If not even that, it can become a safety issue when everyone else is taking steroids, your child could become fatally hurt because they are up against others who simply are artificially bigger and stronger. Sports will become an unsafe place for children, and any athlete will be at increased risk for health problems as well as injury from their competition. In addition, children will grow up in an environment that fosters cheating, teaching them that they can get away with cheating in all other aspects of their life. In order for sports to remain an integral part in not only child development and socialization but as entertainment for the whole world, steroids must be banned for the safety and integrity of sports as well as the safety and integrity of future generations.
