Anabolic steroids generally improve the level of athletic performance. Improved performance is, by most accounts, good for sport. MLB umpire Tim McClelland recently questioned how one could fault an athlete for doing something that makes him a better player. Sidney Gendin, professor of philosophy of law at Eastern Michigan University, has even suggested that we should only ban those athletes who refuse to use steroids.
Janean Marti argues in an editorial that professional athletes have an obligation to their fans to use steroids to improve their performance. After all, how else can an athlete like Alex Rodriguez plausibly begin to justify his $275 million baseball contract to his employers and/or to his fans? Furthermore, Marti highlights the utter hypocrisy of society’s condemnation of the unacceptable dangers of steroids and criticism of the wrong message it sends to young people Read more
The British celebrity tabloid “News of the World” published a photograph of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps hitting a bong accompanied by an article suggesting he was an experienced cannabis user. Recreational marijuana use is a banned “in-competition” substance unlike anabolic steroids. Cannabis use is permitted by the IOC and WADA Anti-Doping Code outside of competition in spite of its illegal status in the United States. Michael Phelps quickly issued a public statement apologizing for his behavior which many accepted as an admission of his cannabis use (”Phelps Apologizes for Marijuana Pipe Photo,” February 1).
“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”
Fortunately, the general public rejected the tabloid’s attempt to sensationalize Phelps’ pot use as an unforgiveable moral failure. The changing public attitudes towards marijuana use have enabled public figures to dismiss incidents of recreational illicit drug use as “youthful indiscretions.” The acceptance of marijuana use by Michael Phelps regrettably comes at the expense of anabolic steroids.
The main difference between anabolic steroids and marijuana with respect to athletes involves the drug’s effects on athletic performance. Steroids help performance; pot hurts performance. Ironically, a substance that allow an athlete to work harder and perform better is EVIL; a substance that diminishes an athlete’s ability to work hard and perform is GOOD. The goal-directed motivations of steroid users are BAD. Read more
