An Ethical Dilemma in Sports

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the ethics involved in the use of steroids in order to enhance athletic performance, looking at the use of both legal and illegal steroids within sports. The paper also discusses the history of steroid use and its legality within the United States. Finally, the paper looks briefly at the side effects that come with the use of anabolic steroids. The paper contains a table that summarizes the drug schedules and the penalties for violation of the Federal Law, Controlled Substance Act of 1970.

From the Paper:

"The use of performance enhancement drugs by many people in our society will not slow down anytime soon. Many negative effects are contributed to the abuse of these drugs but this has not stopped people, especially athletes, from using them. People want to get results faster than they normally would when it come to body image and performance. Our society has become one, of great expectations and demands but not one with a lot of patience. In my opinion in order to get the public to understand the harm about steroids we need to educate ourselves and our children. We have the moral obligation to teach the world and future generations about the ethical dilemmas that this drug and many others bring to the world. We also have the legal authority to helps us spread the message about the harms of steroids through punishment and deterrence but the justice system is concerned with other major crimes. Ethics teach us about what is right or wrong, the only problem is that over time the perception of what is right or wrong has changed tremendously. There are many people who think using drugs is acceptable, while the majority still think it is not. Education is the solution to the ethical dilemma of using steroids in sports."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Duran, Robert H., Vaughn I. Rickert, Carolyn Ashworth, Cheryl Newman and Gregory Slavens. "Use of Multiple Drugs Among Adolescents who have Use Anabolic Steroids." The New England Journal of Medicine 398 (2003) 922-29 ProQuest. San Diego State Univ. Lib. 1 Nov 2007 <http:libproxy.sdsu.edu>.
• Eitzen, D. Stanley, and Maxine B. Zinn. Social Problems. New York: Pearson, 2004.
• Hartgens, Fred and Harm Kuipers. "Effects of Androgenic-Anabolic Steroids in Athletes" Sports Medicine 34 (2004) 513-34. ProQuest. San Diego State Univ. Lib. 1 Nov 2007 <http:libproxy.sdsu.edu>.
• Strauss, Richard H. Drugs & Performance in Sports. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1997.
• Taylor, William N. Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete. New York: McFarland, 2004.

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