Athletes And Drug Use Essay Research Paper — страница 2

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athletes have concluded that the quickest way to reach these goals is through performance-enhancing drugs. (Athletes and Drugs) Sprinter Ben Johnson’s ban from the Olympic games, in 1988 set off a flurry of bureaucratic activity and official hand-wringing, but a decade later it is clear that Johnson’s fall from grace was no turning point, merely part of a continuum and, in some insidious way, inspiring. How else can it be explained that in 1995, when 200 elite—-mostly American—-athletes were polled on whether they would take a banned performance-enhancing substance if they would win and not be caught, 195 said they would do it. The athletes were also asked what they would do if a banned substance guaranteed they would win every competition they entered for the next five

years and then later cause them to die from side effects. Fifty percent said they would take the substance. That is what professional athletics is dealing with nowadays. These young and gifted people have a case of tunnel vision and an oddly persuasive and self-soothing moral escape hatch: If other people are taking these drugs, why shouldn’t I? (Is drug use a problem in sports) Like other people, athletes take drugs for a variety of reasons. Recreational use covers all those occasions when drugs are taken to “get high” or “have fun.” Drug use for the purpose of pain relief also is widespread among athletes, virtually all of whom suffer injuries of some sort during their careers. The ability to “play hurt,” much prized by coaches and fans, is often reinforced by

painkillers and tranquilizers. In most cases, athletes take drugs for performance enhancement. This can mean a number of different things, depending upon the sport. Weightlifters, bodybuilders and football linemen want to put on more muscle; sprinters want to make a more explosive start out of the blocks. Cyclists and long-distance runners seek greater endurance. Some performance-enhancing drugs are effective only if taken shortly before the beginning of the athletic contest. Other performance-enhancers serve mainly as training aids. By helping muscles to recuperate more quickly from exhaustion or injury, these substances enable users to train for longer periods of time at high intensity. Nearly all drugs used in organized sports have potentially serious side-effects, and some

athletes decline to use them for that reason. But other athletes take these drugs with little or no hesitation. To a large extent, their attitude has been shaped by society. “Drugs are used to soothe pain, relieve anxiety, help us to sleep, keep us awake, lose or gain weight,” For many problems, people rely on drugs rather than seeking alternative coping methods. It is not surprising that athletes should adopt similar attitudes. (Athletes and Drugs) Athletes may also turn to drugs to relieve stress generated by the conflicting demands of sports competition and ordinary life. People boosting their egos surround athletes and tell Them they are invulnerable to the ordinary pressures we all face. An athlete has to deal with the disjunction between the outside world, which says

they are exceptional, and what they feel inside, which is they are just as human as the rest of us. Still, the nature of sports competition provides the main reason for athletes to turn to drugs. Professional athletes are ideal targets for drug use. They fall within the susceptible age group, 20 to 35. They receive large salaries. They have free time due to short length of professional seasons. (Athletes and Drugs) In order to solve the complex problem of drug abuse in sports, we need a comprehensive drug policy developed by all those concerned. Under such a policy, athletes would make a concentrated effort not to use any drugs in sports. These policies have to be straightforward. If the problem of drug abuse in sport is not avoided, more and more athletes will not only continue

using any drugs but will become dependent. For example, athletes might have to take drugs every day to reach their goals. Since sports mirror society, the field of competition is a stage where athletes enact social values. And if winning is everything, some athletes may try anything to win. Athletes should realize that the possibility of winning is not worth the risk. The possibility of acute illness or long-term consequence is not worth the short-term gain. Athletes should also think about their short-term in sport when they retire, and ask will someone or companies hire them. Would a company want someone who has previously used drugs to be at the head of their business. Athletes will pay for their physical and emotional sacrifices because athletes serve as role models of