Chemically wrong
Drug Abuse in sport has become a growing problem in today's world and is most likely the quickest growing social problem today. "'The overwhelming majority of athletes I know would do anything, and take anything, short of killing themselves to improve athletic performance,' said Harold Connolly, 1956 hammer throw champion, testifying to the United States Senate Committee in 1973" (Donohoe and Johnson 1). You see drugs are not only a problem in big city slums but also in sports. For many centuries drugs have played a huge role in sports. Roman gladiators would eat mushrooms and seeds that affected the mind. They would also drink herbal stimulants so that they would not feel any pain (Galas 6-10). However, not until 1879 did the term 'doping' first appear in the English dictionary. Have you ever wondered when drugs started to play a big role in sports? Well, in the latter part of the nineteenth century more and more organized and more sophisticated forms of sporting events occurred. The reasons for this change to the more traditional forms of sporting can be blamed because of the change in society. A huge number of things influenced the change in society. For example the new inventions in technology w
In 1960, when the drug testing programs started, everyone generally accepted the use of drugs to enhance performance. In about the 1950's some countries started to speak out against the harm of drugs. After a couple of years the attitude towards athletes drugs began to change to more of an anti-drug outlook. Until about 1965 the impact of the anti-doping programs were fairly small. Nobody really caught on to the idea of anti-doping in sports until the death of Tommy Simpson, a cyclist, who apparently died from the illegal taking of amphetamines in the Tour de France. After that the Medical Commission of the IOC was established in 1967. The first drug tests were conducted at the Mexico Games in 1968. Drug testing has been running ever since then but unfortunately our technology had not kept up with the advances in drugs. Now there are many ways to hide, or alter your drug test so that is turns out negative. In 1983 drug testing became a lot more advanced. Gas chromato! Rules in certain leagues have become stricter. The World Cup and Tour de France have regulations against performance enhancing drugs (Lemonick 76). The Olympics had banned steroids in 1982, and anybody suspected of drug use will be tested. If they were tested positive, they would be ejected from the games, and any previous medals won during the games would be taken away from them. The NFL has been getting into the action, too. They have passed a mandatory drug-testing rule to ban all drugs and boosters in the organization (Taylor 110-116). These prevention's have helped in aiding against drug and steroid abuse by athletes but it is still a problem. What are some of the reactions of others when competitors get caught with drugs? Well when Chinese swimmer Yuan Yuan arrived for the World Swimming Championship in Australia, customs officials found 13 tiny vials of the human growth hormone known as somatropin in her luggage. You would think that others would be shocked or amazed, but not U.S. swimmer Jenny Thompson. She described the day as "the happiest day of her life." Coach Don Talbot of Australia said, "This time they've been caught with their hands in the cookie jar." Yuan Yuan was suspended for four years. Her coach, Zhou Zhewen, said he put the drugs in her bag because he didn't have room in his bag to keep them. He was banned for 15 years (Donohoe 114). Quarterly Inc. Washington D. C., 1991. (vol 1). Anabolic steroids are the most widely used drugs in sports. Anabolic steroids are used to create more muscle mass quickly, but the tissues and tendons are not built at the same rate. The muscles contain extra salt water. The rapid muscle increase creates an unbalanced body and a greater risk of injury (Lukas 45). Many injuries in the NFL are due to unbalanced muscles caused by steroids. Side effects of anabolic steroids are heart attacks, strokes, and hormonal imbalances. Teens on steroids stop growing early and become abnormally short, and get severe acne, which is not limited to the face. These blemishes are usually larger and can be measured up to a half inch in diameter (Galas 68-71). Many weightlifters, runners, and cyclists are on steroids to get stronger. Some athletes who have been caught using steroids say they use them "to make everything fair" (Lemonick 76). "The field is too full of drug users," stated one athlete who used drugs and was caught (Lemonick 7! //5http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2000/1001/812240.html> (28 March 2001) Although there are methods to help prevent drug abuse in athletes, it needs to be stopped. Athletes from high school to the professional level should be tested more often with a penalty to those who have tested positive. These tests should be with or without notice, and those unwilling to be tested should serve the highest punishment (Donohoe 1-5). In 1960, when the drug testing programs started, everyone generally accepted the use of drugs to enhance performance. In about the 1950
Some common words found in the essay are:
Donohoe Johnson, University Texas, Mexico Games, Zhou Zhewen, Cup Tour, Olympic Committee, Ma Junren, Olympic Games, Strawberry Yankees, Qu Qiaping, athletes drugs, drug abuse, steroid abuse, anabolic steroids, drugs sports, stencel 1 516, athlete compete, blood test, using steroids, stencel 1, muscle mass, act passed november, detect drugs easier, allowed people travel, cocaine marijuana alcohol,
Approximate Word count = 5170
Approximate Pages = 21 (250 words per page double spaced)
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