Steroids. Doping. Performance Enhancing Drugs. Whatever you call them there is no denying that the use of PEDs in sports is a problem that has been prevalent for decades. Whether its the infamous "Steroid Era" of baseball or the recent Russia doping scandal that has rocked the 2016 Olympic Games there is no denying that the use of PEDs in sports is a problem. How are sports leagues trying to combat the use of PEDs? Should athletes who test positive be banned? For more, let's take A Closer Look At: Steroid Use in Professional Sports.
Obviously, if a doctor prescribes a steroid to help an athlete recover from an injury or surgery, that's different. But what about when the athlete is healthy? Where is the line that suddenly makes it cheating? By using steroids while recovering from an injury, an athlete can recover much faster. A simple google search shows dozens of sites where athletes can purchase PEDs. Some of these websites say that healing naturally can produce "weaknesses" and that they will bill and ship "discreetly" Again, there is plainly nothing wrong with a doctor prescribing a patient steroids when they are necessary to recover. However, using those steroids for any use other than recovery or rehabilitation is violates the spirit of fair competition and may be unsafe. For example, the US Anti-Doping Agency shows that steroids can be useful in recovery but may have horrific side effects if not used as intended.
Each of the four major sports leagues in the United States (the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL) have programs that try to battle the use of PEDs. Since 1983, the NBA has drug tested players up to six times a year and twice in the offseason. However, they only use urine samples, which can make it difficult to detect certain drugs. The NFL has been urine testing its players since 1987 and blood testing for Human Growth Hormone since 2014. Each week, ten random players from each team is tested. While this is a productive method, players still find ways to use steroids. The MLB has been testing only since 2003, even though they banned all PEDs in 1991. The MLB tests by using Carbon Isotope Ratio blood tests in addition to urine samples. Professional baseball now often makes headlines for suspending its players for PED use, although there have been many notable examples of the MLB turning a blind eye to PED use. The NHL rarely suspends players for PED use. It has suspended only four players in the past decade. In contrast to the thirty-five players that the MLB has suspended. A possible explanation of this disparity could be that Donald Fehr, the current head of the NHLPA, ignored PED use in baseball during the 1990s and early 2000s. There are different ways of punishing those who are found guilty of using PEDs. The International Olympic Committee has taken medals away from athletes who have tested positive and even has banned a country from competing in events. The MLB will suspend players or prevent them from entering the Hall of Fame. However, these different approaches are often can be reduced to one simple question: "Should athletes who use PEDs be banned?"
When asked, a fellow member of the Odyssey responded by saying: I don't think that they should be banned, but I do think they should be suspended until clean. Obviously if they're trying to do it to go forward they care a lot about the sport and are just going about getting better the wrong way?
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