Why Are Steroids Illegal? Why Do We Care About PEDs in Sports?

[dwalker460]

So this has two sides, the competetive and the social. On the social side what happens goes along these lines-

Little Johnny is a good baseball player in Tee Ball, but as he gets a little older and moves up into competitive ranks, he is just one of many, and maybe even mediocre. Sooo he takes a little juice to make him stronger or faster or whatever. And as he goes along he takes more and more of it, CHOOSING to ignore the health side effects. And then one day his leg breaks because the drugs have weakened his bones, or he has a heart attack , or some form of embollism, requiring a lot of hospitalization his health insurance has to pay for. So the insurance company makes a policy that they will not cover steriod abuse related illness or injuries. Well now the taxpayers have to pay for Johnnys continued medical needs.
OOOOO no one likes that. Why, if those bad bad drugs were illegal then golly the abuse wouldnt happen, and it would give the insurance companies a bigger out, and we can then arrest people for steriod possesion, because everyone knows spending a 100K a year to keep an abuser locked up is much better than paying for medical bills.


On the competitive side, other competitors do not like the thought that its the drugs and not just hard work or natural ability beating them. It comes down to a moral choice that they do not want to be beaten because they chose not to take drugs.

IMHO I dont care if they are legal and some chumps want to dope up and hit the wieghts, but I would have an issue with them in professional sports.

[Jer]

So this has two sides, the competetive and the social. On the social side what happens goes along these lines-

Little Johnny is a good baseball player in Tee Ball, but as he gets a little older and moves up into competitive ranks, he is just one of many, and maybe even mediocre. Sooo he takes a little juice to make him stronger or faster or whatever. And as he goes along he takes more and more of it, CHOOSING to ignore the health side effects. And then one day his leg breaks because the drugs have weakened his bones, or he has a heart attack , or some form of embollism, requiring a lot of hospitalization his health insurance has to pay for. So the insurance company makes a policy that they will not cover steriod abuse related illness or injuries. Well now the taxpayers have to pay for Johnnys continued medical needs.
OOOOO no one likes that. Why, if those bad bad drugs were illegal then golly the abuse wouldnt happen, and it would give the insurance companies a bigger out, and we can then arrest people for steriod possesion, because everyone knows spending a 100K a year to keep an abuser locked up is much better than paying for medical bills.


On the competitive side, other competitors do not like the thought that its the drugs and not just hard work or natural ability beating them. It comes down to a moral choice that they do not want to be beaten because they chose not to take drugs.

IMHO I dont care if they are legal and some chumps want to dope up and hit the wieghts, but I would have an issue with them in professional sports.

Weakened bones from PEDs? That's not how they work. What if 'Little Johnny' became a MORE healthy young adult as a result of advancements being made and using them under the supervision of a doctor? These drugs have the ability to make human beings MORE healthy. To heal from injury and sickness QUICKER. The potential that the drugs possess is limitless. Right now the entities that could be advancing this are tied up on making them beat drug tests. No matter what tests we create they will find a way to beat them. It's pointless. If you don't feel they're right then that's fine and you can teach your children that just like you teach them to not drink bleach, gamble, drink, smoke or whatever you deem immoral. None of those however possess the ability to help heal humans and turn back the hands of time.

As for as from a competitive standpoint... pretty much everyone at an elite level uses some form of PED and if you think that only handful of people who have already been caught or are questioned are the only ones then your kidding yourself. SO Much energy is being wasted on not being caught that could be wasted on betting mankind. Most real athletes will look at themselves if they fail. The ones who find something to blame the other guy for will find something else to blame the other guy for.

[Sparky]

Weakened bones from PEDs? That's not how they work. What if 'Little Johnny' became a MORE healthy young adult as a result of advancements being made and using them under the supervision of a doctor? These drugs have the ability to make human beings MORE healthy. To heal from injury and sickness QUICKER. The potential that the drugs possess is limitless. Right now the entities that could be advancing this are tied up on making them beat drug tests. No matter what tests we create they will find a way to beat them. It's pointless. If you don't feel they're right then that's fine and you can teach your children that just like you teach them to not drink bleach, gamble, drink, smoke or whatever you deem immoral. None of those however possess the ability to help heal humans and turn back the hands of time.

As for as from a competitive standpoint... pretty much everyone at an elite level uses some form of PED and if you think that only handful of people who have already been caught or are questioned are the only ones then your kidding yourself. SO Much energy is being wasted on not being caught that could be wasted on betting mankind. Most real athletes will look at themselves if they fail. The ones who find something to blame the other guy for will find something else to blame the other guy for.

Yep I have lowered bone density.

[Jer]

Yep I have lowered bone density.

Your condition itself causes low bone density. Without your condition (which lead to your use of steroids to begin with) most people will experience INCREASED bone density with the use of steroids.

[Teufelhund]

Haven't put a lot of thought into this topic, but my initial reaction parallels this:

IMHO I dont care if they are legal and some chumps want to dope up and hit the wieghts, but I would have an issue with them in professional sports.

I don't think anything one can do to one's self should be illegal. I do think in professional, competitive sports it equates to cheating, as it creates a disadvantage for those who choose not to use PEDs. Cheating of any kind should not be allowed in professional sports, but if you aren't getting paid for it, knock yourself out.

[Sparky]

I really could care less if people want to kill themselves. The problem I have is abuse is what makes it hard for it to be used for legit uses.

[RMAC757]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger,_Stronger,_Faster*

Great docu on subject.