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Devyani Kohli
Professor Hymes
English 115, M/W 11:00-12:15
3 November 2014
Performance Enhancement Illegal?
In this article, Should performance-enhancing drugs in sport be legalized under medical
supervision, the author discusses the pros and cons of legalizing performance enhancement
drugs. Many athletes, children, and adolescents dream to be in sports. However, their dreams are
shattered when they realize the amount of strength and skills they must have for the game. It
seems impossible until they are presented with the idea of steroids and performance
enhancements.
The author argues that making performance enhancement substances legal will not solve
the increasing use of these drugs. The author gives evidence by explaining how doping is a
common enhancement substance used in sports. It increases the number of blood cells to help
increase ones energy. However, making this legal will not necessarily limit the use of doping.
If legalization was to occur on performance enhancement drugs, it would limit the use only for
medical purposes. Reducing the limit of performance enhancement will make athletes want more
and find ways to illegally produce and add more into their body.The government would have to
classify which athletes are able to use blood doping. However, it would not give an equal
opportunity for all athletes to use performance enhancements. The author states that selecting
athletes who are qualified for blood doping can effect the doctors ethos. Under immense
pressure from the manager and athlete, many athletes may find ways to cheat the system and
have blood doping. The legalization of performance enhancements would lead to more testing as
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different methods will be invented to have this substance.
The effects of doping are the same for all athletes. They all improve the same way
therefore there never being a change in who is the best player. Athletes would have to continue
to put greater effort, more drugs, to try to beat other players who are also on the same drugs,
striving to become better. Athletes who are not doing blood doping due to restrictions set by the
rules, would have a tougher time trying to even reach that maximum greatness in their sport. It
would not be about the athletes skills but more about their drug use and how they achieved
greatness through that. Many believe that allowing performance enhancement drugs would level
the playing field. Genetics would not come in the way. If this was legalized, athletes would take
more risks. The author concludes his argument about how legalizing performance enhancement
would not have any advance in social value and is unethical in sport settings.
One skepticism I have is when the author argues about the fans value towards this
problem. In todays society, competition has grown vastly, and I feel that fans would not care if
athletes played under the influence of performance enhancement substances. Many football and
baseball teams have athletes who are using steroids and other performance enhancement
substances, however, those teams still have high fan count as their performance level has
increased. If a team wins the final, the state looks good and more money comes towards the
team. I feel the author exaggerated about how fans may be disappointed, but I believe that it will
not matter. Overall, I find that the authors argument strong. He presents ideas that have good
points. He explains how limiting performance enhancement substances would not solve the
issue. It is true, as people will illegally find ways to enhance their body. If performance
enhancement substances are illegal, the government would not have to select certain athletes to
use this substance, nor would their be inequality in the game. I agree with the author how it is
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wrong to believe that talent would not be compensated in the game. Sport is all about
competition and talent. If performance enhancement drugs are taken, there is no room for
improvement and records being set. The legalization of performance enhancements give a
different perception in sports.
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Works Cited
Wiesing, Urban. "Should Performance-enhancing Drugs in Sport Be Legalized Under Medical
Supervision?." Sports Medicine 41.2 (2011): 167-176. Web. 02 November 2014.