Should Steroids be Banned in Sports

Peter Boss

My Position

• Steroids should be banned in sports because of the tragic effects it leaves on the body. Therefore athletes should save time cheating themselves and others, and play the game the way it was meant to be played.

What are Steroids?

• Developed in the 30’s- synthesized from the male hormone testosterone.

• Taken to build muscle, enhance performance, and improve appearance.

How are they used?

• Used in the form of a pill

• Used in the form of a liquid for injection

Other Name for Steroids

• Roids• Juice• Hype• Weight trainers• Gym candy

• Rocket fuel• Arnolds• Stackers• Pumpers

Early Symptoms

• Serious acne

• Significant sudden increases in weight

• Headaches

• Dizziness

• Severe leg and abdominal cramping

• Premature hair loss

Major Side Effects For Men

– Shrinking of testicles – Reduced sperm count– Infertility – Baldness– Development of breasts – Increase risk to prostate cancer

Major Side Effects For Women

• Growth of facial hair• Male-pattern

baldness• Changes in menstrual

cycle• Deepened voice

http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/SKINSHeary2.preview.jpg

Major Side Effects For Adolescents

• Growth halted prematurely– Means staying short all their life– Only if taken before major adolescent growth

spurt.

• Accelerated puberty changes

Some Other Effects

• Paranoid jealousy • Extreme irritability• Delusions• Impaired judgment

http://www.globalchange.com/steroids.htm

Why Do People Use Steroids?

• Increase muscle mass

• Improve appearance • Low self esteem• “The bigger the

better”

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1395/768150548_a8e25cf066.jpg

Laws and Penalties

• Simple possession– $1,000 fine up to 1 year in prison

• Trafficking– $250,000 up to 5 years in prison if its your first

felony offense

• If its your second offense, the maximum period of imprisonment and maximum fine both double.

Professional Policy

• Tests: All players at least once during the season, plus random year-round testing. Penalties: Minimum of four-game suspension for first offense, six games for second and one year for third.

WHS Policy

• “…the first time in his/her high school career that an athlete is found to be under the influence of, possesses, or is selling drugs/alcoholic beverages, they will be suspended from all athletic participation for 60 school or activity days…”

Collegiate Policy

• The NCAA tests nine athletes outside of football at each Division I school annually for steroids.

• Athletes can be tested by their own institutions.

Drugs Banned in the NCAA

• Boldenone• Testosterone• Dromostanolone• Dihydrotestosterone• Methenolone• Norethandrolone• Oxymetholone• Clostebol• DHEA• Fluoxymesterone

• Androstenedione• Mesterolone• Methyltestosterone• Oxandrolone• Dehydrochlormethyl-

Testosterone• Epitestosterone• Methandienone• Nandrolone• Oxymesterone• Stanozolol

Why Should They Be Banned?

• The fact that in short bursts of activity steroids can help you, it isn’t fair.

• Sports have laws and rules about what drugs can be taken for a professional athlete. Even NCAA, and High school’s across the U.S. have adapted some of these laws. This isn’t because of the cheating side of steroids, but the rules are in place to protect the student athletes.

What Else Are They Used For?

• Men who have testicular cancer

• Quicken puberty

• After surgery or cancers

Works Cited

Anabolics Mall. 4 June 2008 <http:///www.anabolicsmall.com/roida4a.htm>.

Drugs in Sports: Anabolic Steroids . 4 June 2008 <http://www.drugfreesport.com/choices/drugs/steroids.html#E>.

“NIDA InfoFacts: Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic).” NIDA. 5 June 2008 <http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/steroids.html

"steroid." The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science . Oxford University Press, 1998, 2006, 2007. Answers.com 13 Jun. 2008. http://www.answers.com/topic/steroid

"steroid." McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2005. Answers.com 13 Jun. 2008. http://www.answers.com/topic/steroid

Steroids.” GDCADA. 7 June 2008 <http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/steroids.htm>.

Steroids- Fast Facts. 2 June 2008 <http://www.doitnow.org/pages/520.html>.

Steroids: Just the Facts. 6 June 2008 <http://dwb4.unl.edu/Chem/CHEM869K/CHEM869KLinks/www.tcada.state.tx.us/research/facts/steroids.html>.

Steroids- The Truth About Steroids. 10 June 2008 <http://www.globalchange.com/steroids.htm>.

"steroid." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 13 Jun. 2008. http://www.answers.com/topic/steroid