Should Performance Enhancing Drugs Be Legalized In Professional Sports?

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The debate over the legalization of performance enhancing drugs also, known as PEDs, has been on the rise. Performance enhancing drugs are as the illegal drugs or substances that are taken by athletes to improve their performance. The term doping is used to describe the act of using PEDs. In the recent years many famous athletes have been convicted of PEDs abuse. Among these famous athletes is Lance Armstrong, a famous cyclist who won multiple titles of Tour de France. As the use of PEDs is becoming more common, controversy over the legalization has emerged.

Among the many different types of performance enhancing drugs out there; the common ones consist of: steroids, red blood cell doping, and human growth hormone. Lance Armstrong was convicted of red blood cell doping and has been stripped of his titles and banned from professional cycling. With the numerous amount of athletes convicted of PED abuse, one can question rather if it is a problem with the athletes or it is a problem with the state.

In all professional sports in the United States, the use of PEDs are prohibited. However, there is only one acceptation to that rule. If an athlete is injured, prescriptions to certain drugs which are used in recover are allowed. These drugs may consist of certain chemicals that enhance muscle grow. Some athletes have used this to their advantage and have got prescriptions to these drugs for their own personal benefits, will other athletes are using it for recreational purposes. This, however, is not the only way to obtain PEDs; there are also other ways such as buying them from an underground market. Athletes with the intention to cheat will take the risk of using PEDs, since if they are successful they will achieve fame and money.

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