Why We Should Allow Drugs In Sports

Everyday we are learning more and more about the latest drug scandals in our favourite sports. Whether it be Lance Armstrong’s confession (if you can call it that) on Oprah, or the daily revelations about doping cover ups in the AFL and NRL. But have we all got our knickers in a twist about nothing? Maybe. Here are a few arguments for allowing drugs in sport. I’m not saying they are correct, but maybe we should at least think about them.

It’s about the competition, stupid!

Look, when I watch AFL or Rugby League I want to see a bunch of fit young men in peak condition. I want to see excitement and I want to see excellence. If a well-supervised and healthy dose of modern drugs will help the players I like to watch achieve optimal fitness for each game, why should that worry me. We’re not just talking steroids here. Many banned substances are more related to recovery and healing than strength and stamina. But, personally, I see no issue with either.

There are some sports – or at least some events – that should remain drug-free. I don’t want to see how fast a drugged-up athlete can run the hundred metres – no, I want to see what a natural body can do. But for sports of pure competition – especially ones where strategy is just as important as strength – I just don’t care. We love watching the men play 5-set marathons at the Australian Open. If a well supervised drug regime will help them recover quickly and be ready for the next round, then I’m all for it.

Prohibition leads to deception and corruption

Well, this is the other thing. People are human… they’re going to want to try and push the envelope and try and hide their drug-use so that they can achieve that little bit extra success in their chosen sport. By enforcing a prohibition on performance enhancing drugs, people are naturally going to turn to deception to achieve their goals. Deception leads to corruption. It’s a slippery slope people!

Of course, the dangerous side to drug prohibition in sport is a lack of health standards. A well supervised drug regime will be less dangerous to our young athletes than some of the dodgy and dangerous practices we hear about from time to time. Roid-Rage anybody? Let’s make drugs in sport safe and free from corruption.

Some people are making a motza out of anti-doping!

This is a whole other kettle of fish. There are so many drug agencies all around the world. Sometimes I think more people are employed to enforce the prohibition on drugs than there are people actually playing the sports we like to watch. Surely there are better things we can spend our money on. Instead of employing all those scientists and technicians on developing newer and more efficient drug testing, why not employ them to develop safe and more efficient performance enhancing drugs? You know it’s a win WIN situation.

What do you think. Drugs in sports – good thing or bad thing?

Images by Mschlindwein and Daniel Norton, via Wikimedia Commons