Banning steroids in sports what do you think?

[Vicks]

Ok I have been talking with the guys I work with about the idea of banning steroids in baseball. And they like me "agreee that you cna't bann something that is legal and certain steroids are legal" this other woman I work with said "but they hurt their bodies and dont' set a good example to kids so they should bann them" I said "ok if you bann those you have to bann every form of diet pill and suppliment out there. The people doing these sports maynot be major league baseball players, but people in gymnastics, skating, swimming, any of these sports should not be allowed to take anything that hurts their bodies or sets a bad example to kids"

My point being in the conversation was that if you bann steroids you have to ban diet pills, but since steroids are legal and so are diet pills, you can't treat them differently. So if you want to be fair you have to tell baseball players "no steroids allowed and make them illegal" and you have to tell people in other sports such as "gymnastics, skating ect....no diet pills and make them illegal" as long as diet pills and steroids are legal it is hard bann them in any sport.

So I guess ultiamtely would you guys agree that if they were to bann steroids which would mean making them illegal that they should do the same thing to diet pills and make them illegal?

In my opinion useing diet pills to obtain a better physique for a sport is the same as useing steroids.


(oh just to let you know I am a huge baseball, and skating fan)

Vicks

[lovtophish]

Vicks,

I agree that if you would ban steroids in sports than diet pills would also need to be banned. I don't agree with banning either one. I don't think they are healthy for people (I've put myself in the ER with them), but no one has the right to tell me I can't take them. It's kind of like alcohol and smoking...if we're going to start inflicting taxes and laws against smoking, why not do the same against alchohol?

Steph

[Millificent]

I don't think alcohol is comparable to diet pills and steroids.

Alcohol has been proven to be beneficial in small amounts. It only causes physical harm in excess, over a long period of time. Alcohol poisoning is an exception to this, but overdosing on ANY substance can be lethal.

Steroids and diet pills have killed MANY people, even when taken at the recommended dosages. (I'll admit to a bias here - I nearly had a stroke from using diet pills.)

---------------------------------------------------

I look at steroid use as a form of cheating. If you have two runners, should the one taking steroids be rewarded because he is faster? In many sports, if only a few people have access to superior equipment, that equipment is not allowed because it would give an unfair advantage.

:dragon Millie

[lovtophish]

very true Millie,

with alcohol, if you consider the fact that the banning of diet pills, steroids, smoking (in most places)...is for the good of the nation's health...then alcohol would play a part. Give someone steroids put them in a car they are less likely to hurt someone then someone with alcohol getting into a car.

My only problem with banning is that it's always for "our good"...I personally feel that it's MY right to choose what is for my own good...not some guy sitting in an office, that doesn't know me.

Steph

[Millificent]

Steph, drinking and driving HAS been banned already, so the comparison doesn't work.

[lovtophish]

you are correct it is banned. However if the use of alcohol were completely banned then there would be no opportunity for drinking and driving or alcohol poisoning(I've had that...totally sucks). One could also say that someone with an eating disorder that typically abuses diet pills instead of using them as they are meant(with doctors okay/knowledge and the right dosage/proper food) would not be the correct person to determine the banning of diet pills. In most cases the diet pills were not what put people in the hospital or killed them, it was the misuse of them.

[Little Fishy]

Banning things doesn't necessarily make problems go away...

They tried banning alcohol. Remember Prohibition? That failed.

Steriods are already banned in most sports. People still do them anyway.

By the way, there already are taxes levied against alcohol. At least in the part of the country that I'm from...

Little Fishy
:notes :singing

[MrFishy]

Awesome...a Baseball topic!!!!!!!!!


From what I understand of the issue, the basis behind it is as millie stated. To keep the field "level" and competetive.

I agree with that.

I also personally feel that the message of condoning steroid use to children (which athletes ARE looked up to) is a negative message and for that alone I agree with the banning.

I would like to adress one of the arguments that is being used here tho...

"I don't think they are healthy for people (I've put myself in the ER with them)"
"for drinking and driving or alcohol poisoning(I've had that...totally sucks)"
"My only problem with banning is that it's always for "our good"...I personally feel that it's MY right to choose what is for my own good"

Sometimes, we dont have the ability to make the CORRECT choices for ourselves. I think that arguing for "the right to hurt myself" (which if you break it down in THIS case it is) kinda speaks volumes about the NECESSITY to have someone else make the choice.

BTW....I also agree that diet pills (which dont work anyways) shuould be banned. :winky

[lovtophish]

You are right in the sense that I personally am not able to make the correct decision about what is healthy for me. The original topic was that of sports people. I am banned from diet pills because I don't use them correctly. The only problem I have with banning them all together is that someone else who will use them properly, not put themself in the ER should not be banned from them because people like me have a problem with them. I guess I made my argument speaking not for me, but for others out there that do take them and do so the right way. Sorry, I should have made that clearer. I now know they don't work and even though the urges to take them are there, I'm learning how to ignore them.

Steph

[MrFishy]

hehehehe...you answered as I was going to edit...so ill edit in a new post because i dont want ti to seem like I was changing after the fact....

EDITED: BTW....I also agree that diet pills (which dont work anyways) shuould be banned. (unless under the direct supervision of a qualified doctor and in extreme cases)

[MrFishy]

Lov,

(not picking on you ) I have a question...

Steroid use has a laundry list of dangers BOTH short term and long term.

My question is this.....if your son walks up to you and say he wants to "bulk up" by using steroids, what would YOUR advice be?

Just curious.

Good Luck!

[lovtophish]

It's an interesting question!!! I would explain fully every danger that is associated with the steroids. Have him make a list of the dangers compared to the "benefits."(I wish I had done that myself with the diet pills). IF he was under eighteen I would not allow him to use them. As an adult though, it his decision whether the bulking up is worth the risks, wrong or right it's his decision.

There is a long list of dangers associated with caffeine, with birth control, with Tylenol, with many medicines out there. My only question is when would it stop? When is it time for us to take responsibility for our health and not have it made easier by someone saying "no you can't do that, you may be harmed from it."(I'm saying this because it's time for ME to say that I'm not going to take diet pills/smoke when I'm stressed or things that are harmful...instead of leaning on the fact that I'm "not allowed")

It's a hard subject, in some ways it does seem like if you're arguing for steroids/drugs/smoking, you're arguing to harm yourself. At the same time you're arguing to keep your fundamental rights to live your life as you see fit as long as you're not bringing harm to others.

Steph

[Vicks]

Um wow this took off some. I do agree entirely in personal responsibility. What I want to point out is that "if you let sports figures use steroids in baseball ect... than you have to allow diet pills to be used in other sports." If you bann steroids use in baseball than I think there can't be a double standard. I bet if they banned professional baseball players from taking steroids, they would not bann the gymnasts from taking diet pills (not trying to stereotype but oh well). I think there is a double standard. I bet when a person in the general public hears the words steroid use they think "oh my God they shouldn't do that" but when a person heres "oh yeah that person is taking diet pills after all they have to be small enough to do the flips ect...." The person taking the diet pills isn't judged the same way as a person taking steroids is.

Personally I agree, as long as steroids are legal people can take them all they want. All I want to make sure that happens, is if they do become illegal by law ect... that the laws become inclusive and cover diet pills too, because it would be a double standard.

Dio I want governemtn infringeing on my rights? No way. but I also think there is a mega double standard out there. And I would personally value someone hitting a homerun further if they did it on their own merrits rather than through the use of pills. Same goes with any sport. I would much rather see a gymanst do awesome things, than no she can do those things because she maybe abuseing her body.

Vicks

[MrFishy]

Vicks,

While I understand the argument, I dont think diet pills are looked at by the proffesional athletic community as a "perfomance enhancement drug" as steroid use is. Quite honestly, I think they can come up with an argument for the opposite case, and I belive (not one hundred percent sure) that the Olympic committe does have certain chemicals that are part of "diet pills" in their list of bans.

Ill check to make sure.

Good Luck!

[Millificent]

Tony, while you are looking into what various sports ban, what about ephedra? It's used in diet pills and also in pills to give athletes extra energy. It's also caused enough deaths (even by people who are NOT abusing it) that President Bush has ordered that a full study be done on it.

:dragon Millie

[MrFishy]

Mills,

Yes. I did a quik search last night and Ephedra IS on the olympic committes list of banned substances. (thats what i searched first because the olympics does cover a wide range of sports featuring both male and female athletes)

I also found a whole list of what are considered diuretics.

[fimbriae]

i was just going to point out that ingredients of diet pills and so on ARE, in fact, banned in, for example, elite gymnastics. as you may recall, in the two thousand olympics, the winner of the individual all around in gymnastics lost her gold medal, as she had taken cold/flu medication (prescribed by the team doctor) containing pseudoephedrine.

take care.

:love, emma

[Vicks]

Question. In high school sports aren't steroids banned? If they are banned why aren't diet pills? And if diet pills are banned great, but I just don'[t get the sence that people think diet pills ect... are nearly as dangerous as steroids.

Vicks

[fimbriae]

i think the thing is that steroids are not banned only because they are dangerous; they are also banned because they have performance enhancing properties, and could thus give one athlete/team an advantage - of sorts - over other athletes. very few diet pills are legal in australia - anything containing ephedrine/ephedra is banned. perhaps the wide availability of diet pills in the US is one factor that might explain apparent community acceptance of diet pills. perhaps if diet pills were banned, then people would also be inclined to recognise the dangers of diet pills.

take care.

:love, emma

[Millificent]

Just found an interesting site on the topic: http://www.drugfreesport.com

[Rayneonthemoon]

I am torn on this topic for a few reasons. By banning these substances, that won't make the problem go away. There is such an addiction going around in the world to diet pills and steroids, that it would increase the amount of illegal smuggling, ect. The problem will remain, if not even become higher, because people want what they cannot have. Does that make sense?

Although I believe that diet pills and steroids are really bad, and I think that health wise it's a good idea to not have them available, I don't believe that society wise it will make the problem dissapear. I think it's a matter of choice, I guess.

What a good topic !!
Love,

[New-Bride]

I think that performance enhancing steroids should be completely one hundred percent banned. I think all sports, in all facets, should have regular steroids testing, not just drug testing. I played sports all through college, and there is wide spread use among ALL sports :mad