Sites Used: University of Southern California, Delta College, Live Science
While some believe that PEDs should be legalized many, including everyone who commented on the last post, think it is important to remain firm on the stance against legalization. So what will happen if nothing changes? What if rules and regulations continue to enforce the current laws in the same manner? This entry will focus on the future of sports if the system stays as is.
Currently there is a very fine line between what is legal and what is not in the field of sports. According to the University of Southern California, the current laws have a difficult time, “defining the border of what is doping and what is not.” The World Anti-Doping Agency was created in 1999 to navigate the rules and regulations surrounding performance-enhancing drugs. However as science has advanced lawmakers have had trouble defining what is legal and what is not. For example, according to the National Institute of Health, the USDA said currently drugs are allowed for “therapeutic restoration”, meaning the drug can be used to restore normal health. However this raises the question of what is “normal health”? The site said, “Where does restoration of normative function end and the beginning of performance enhancement start?”
Questions like this have created a blurry line of who is allowed to use certain drugs and under what context. Many doctors besides psychiatrists are prescribing drugs to athletes when they do not fully understand the ramifications. If this continues many ethical dilemmas will continue to plague athletics. These questions will continue to arise forcing the athletic and medical community to continuously discuss legalization or policy changes.
While dilemmas will arise, If USDA does nothing to change the current laws it may continue to save the lives. According to Live Science legalizing drugs would further increase the number of people willing to dope. The article said, “Without the moderating effect of the fear of getting caught, dangerous levels of doping would be expected to grow more prevalent in many sports. “ While laws may not stop it, they do help control the number of people who use drugs and the amount they use.
Keeping current laws may also help maintain the integrity of the sports. Although some will argue that these drugs are part of the natural progression, many have noted that making the drugs legal would change the entire game. According to Delta College, “the use of performance-enhancing substances is not only illegal, it is also morally reprehensible in that it violates the virtues of honesty and trustworthiness, which go to the heart of the fairness and integrity of competitive sport.” If the drugs remain illegal, the face of the game is less likely to change with honesty and trustworthiness put on the back burner.
The issues surrounding policy change in the field of PED are very complicated. On the one hand, if the laws do not change ethical questions will continuously be raised. With science advancing many feel that the laws become outdated very quickly. However keeping the current regulations in place has proven to save lives. While it may not completely prevent drug usage, it does limit it. It has also prevented athletics from becoming less focused on trust and honesty. For now PEDs remain illegal and the hypothetical questions raised in the intro are becoming a reality. Society is beginning to see what will happen if nothing changes and the laws remains. So the next question is, even if the drugs are not legalized, do the laws need to change? If so, how?
Changing the rules about PED’s would essentially be like changing the rules of the games themselves. If these drugs were allowed, it would be like allowing metal bats in baseball or lowering the hoops in basketball. They do need to clear up the blurred lines, but it is difficult to say what kind of effect it would have. I think they should pass regulations, but try and make them match the social lines between what is taboo or not.
First off, I really like that an agency named themselves the World Anti-Doping Agency. But, anyway…
It’s unrealistic to think that laws can stand the test of time and never be changed. Today’s world is constantly adapting and evolving, so our laws need to as well. PED drugs in the field of sports should be illegal, as they give an unfair advantage to certain players and teams. But, working on the honor system may not be enough. If this drug issue persists, randomized drug tests may need to start occurring more frequently.
But, those are just my opinions. You seem to have done a lot of research into this and really know your stuff.