Athletes' use of steroids is very common in sports and is nothing to frown upon. Athletes have a very tough job and they have to remain physically fit at all times. Their job is very demanding and they need to exert their bodies to their limits. This can be a very difficult thing and many athletes choose to take steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs in order to keep performing well.
Steroids are basically a form of drugs and many people are against athletes using such drugs. They say that steroids give the athlete using them an unfair advantage over others not using them since steroids and performance-enhancing drugs give them more energy and stamina. Others disagree and say that steroids are just like any other nutrient that humans intake in order to increase improve their bodies and performance. Doctors believe that steroids can be harmful to the body because they can coax the body to grow and develop in an unnatural manner.
The public opinion on athletes taking steroids is also divided and it is mostly hypocritical. Many people want to see athletes push their bodies to their limits for their own entertainment, but they make a big deal out of it if they find out that the athlete is taking steroids.
Another interesting point is that sportsmen have used steroids and performance-enhancing drugs for years! C.A. Haller (2002) in the Journal of Toxicology says “drug use to improve athletic performance has occurred since ancient times” (p. 315). Yet, ee know that many of the sports association do not condone drug usage and athletes have been known to be disqualified if they have been tested positive for any drug in their system prior to the sporting event, yet this does not mean that they are contraband (Mosby 2002; Wikipedia). Steroids are medical drugs that are used to enhance the potential of the human body. They are just like taking anti-acid pills to reduce stomach irritation and like taking pills to improve blood circulation.
References
Haller, C.A. (2002). “Pumping up the "natural" way: a review of performance-enhancing supplement use in the United States.” Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology 40.3 (April 2002): p 315(2).
Mosby. (2002). Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary. Sixth Edition. Drug abuse definition, p. 552. Nursing diagnoses, p. 2109.
Wikipedia. “Drug Abuse,” Online, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_abuse (Accessed February 21, 2008)