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Drugs and Athletes Drugs have been a problem in our society for many years. They have been used and abused by many groups, including professional athletes. It is certainly quite common to hear about or read about athletes and drug use. Although drugs have a lengthy history of use by athletes, they have varied effects on the body and different preventions. Much of the world's supply of cocaine is produced in South America. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Incas of Peru chewed coca leaves because they made it possible for them to work in the high mountains of the land for longer periods of time. In the 1880's Bolivian soldiers were given the drug to help them gain endurance and overcome fatigue. One hundred years later as many as 90 percent of the natives of the Andes Mountains in Peru regularly chewed coca leaves. It wasn't until the early years of the 20th century that cocaine increased in popularity among athletes ("Coca"). Cocaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid, extrac!ted from the leaves of the coca plant. It is an excellent local anesthetic and a widely abused illicit drug. Cocaine is an odorless, white powder. The many street names of cocaine include "coke," "snow," "lady," and "gold dust." Street cocaine consists of
marijuana, the user has a "high," including an increased sense of well-being, relaxation, and sleepiness. Most users learn to avoid overdosage by taking only as many inhalations as required to produce the desired "high." Steroids may have some therapeutic value. The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of selected steroids for treating specific types of anemia, some breast cancers, osteoporosis, endometriosis, and hereditary angioedema, a rare disease involving the swelling of some parts of the body. Steroids are used today by young people that are in a hurry to reach maturity or by someone that hates his skinny body. Most of all, steroids are used by athletes to build muscle mass. They also help muscles to recuperate more quickly from exhaustion or injury. These enable users to train more frequently and for longer periods of time at a high intensity. Athletes generally take the drugs in dosages 10 to 100 times greater than would be prescribed for t! r from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility (Lend 24). A few examples of professional athletes that use steroids are Brian Bosworth, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and John Kordic. American Danny Harris ranked number one in the hurdles in 1991, failed a drug test, and could be suspended for four years. The best known case of steroid use is Lyle Alzado. Lyle, the former defensive end, had an inoperable brain tumor that left his once-massive body ravaged. He blames years of heavy use of steroids and human growth hormones, and his shocking demise has left people wondering if he is the vangaurd of a wave of future cancer victims. Alzado said about 75 percent of the NFL players he faced were on steroids. Before Lyle died, he could be seen hobbling with the aid of his wife and wearing a bandana to cover baldness from chemotherapy. Alzado took steroids almost daily for nearly 20 years. This prolonged use killed him.! raded his handcuffs for a gold Pro Bowl watch and became the Football News Comeback Player of the Year. Eventually, White began using cocaine again and in doing so he almost lost his wife and career. White stopped using once again and he's taking a urine test three times a week. He's staying clean and he's playing (Charles White's Story). Most people smoke marijuana to experience euphoric properties, including relaxation, intensification of perception, and visual fantasies. Some athletes use marijuana following a sporting event because it allows them to feel relaxed and at peace. However, marijuana has some immediate negative effects. Almost immediately after marijuana is smoked, a user's heart rate increases up to 50 percent higher than normal. Also the tiny blood vessels in the eyes dilate, and the whites of the eyes take a reddish hue. Many people who get high report that they become very hungry or extremely drowsy within fifteen minutes of smoking marijuana. Smoking can al! so cause the throat and mouth to become dry. People under the influence of marijuana perform poorly on physical tasks. Marijuana causes many different mental problems. Marijuana can produce a "chronic cannabis syndrome." The syndrome consists of loss of energy, reduced levels of drive and ambition, apathy, depression, agitation, and withdrawal from previous interests. It's believed that this syndrome can be reversed by abstinence. Marijuana affects most people socially too. Marijuana ends more players' futures than do all other drugs and alcohol combined (Meer 49). Most of the social effects stem from the mental effects. The depression and lack of interest in things affect the user's socializing ability. Marijuana is the biggest drug problem in sports. Despite all the tragic physical effects steroids have on the body, athletes continue to use it. One of the most alarming is the threat of AIDS, which can be transmitted if needles are shared. Some effects, such as rapid weight g! Alzado wrote, " If
Some common words found in the essay are:
Olympics Ben, White's Story, East Berlin, Drug Administration, Expos Raines, Civil Rights, Coca Cocaine, Players' Association, Alzado Lyle, China Marijuana, drug testing, marijuana smoked, banned substances, gas chromatograph, professional athletes, hemp plant, drug abuse, mass spectrometer, using cocaine, urine sample, gas chromatograph mass, chromatograph mass spectrometer, determine banned substances, percent nfl players, chewed coca leaves,
Approximate Word count = 3786
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)
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