Should Athletes Use Performance Enhancing Drugs

Should athletes be allowed to use performance enhancing drugs? The use of performance enhancing drugs has been around since the beginning of organized sports and has been the cause of many debates. Athletes are always searching for ways to gain a competitive advantage over their opponents. In our opinion, the use of performance enhancing drugs should not be allowed in sport because of athlete’s role model status, potential health risks, and unfair physical advantages.
Whether athletes like it or not, they are looked up to as role models. Schwab (2002) said that kids, “choose the jersey numbers of their favorite professional players. They emulate their training regimens. They emulate their style of play. And they are influenced by their drug

For example, Balko (2008) said, “teenage boys who do take steroids do so not because they want to look like Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire, but because they want to look good for teenage girls." This may be part of the reason why teenagers are using steroids, but it definitely isn’t the sole reason. Even if a small amount of kids uses steroids because their favorite athletes do, it is still too many. Professional athletes should be more aware that they are being looked up to and that they are representing their team/country in their

The effects that performance enhancers can have on athletes that use them can be detrimental to their health physically and mentally. Performance enhancers can affect the brain, eyes, lungs, heart, skin, bones and both male and female reproduction systems. Athletes who use enhancers can see an increase in aggressiveness otherwise known as, “Roid Rage”. In fact, Chris Benoit, was a steroid user in the WWE who killed his wife, son, and himself. The motives of Chris seem to have been from steroids but is not proven. I think it is because steroids because steroids can lead to rage and depression. Post- Enhancer withdrawal can result in illness such as, depression. There have also been more athletes who have used enhancers that ended in a deadly situation. “Ken Caminiti, the former Most Valuable Player of the National League, died recently -- in his forties. He admitted to using steroids. Lyle Alzado, a former football player, died young. He, too, had used steroids. These appear to be deadly substances. Doesn't society have an interest in protecting people from their own folly?" -Keith Burgess-Jackson, JD, PhD (2004). When an athlete uses enhancer, can result in the thickening of blood cells which requires the heart to pump harder which can lead to heart attack or heart failure. The big daddy of the long-term effects, is performance