Performance-enhancing drugs
The use of banned substances in sport make it hard to get really enthusiastic about the Olympics, because it’s clear that for everyone who’s caught there are a bunch more who evade detection. But which ones? It’s hard to catch even textbook cases using known substances, let alone truly elite competitions who use stuff that testing agencies don’t even know exits. Some sports, like professional cycling, are so obviously soaked in chemicals that everyone has simply agreed to look the other way.
The Olympics ought to get more exciting as performance improves. The use of performance-enhancing drugs doesn’t cheapen athletic performance, per se. The real problem is that the use of certain substances is cheating under the current rules. Perhaps we should change the rules of athletic competition to accommodate the wishes of athletic and the public. If athletes still think it’s worthwhile to complete in drug-enhanced competitions and public still cares to watch, perhaps we should acquiesce.
It might be better to end the hypocrisy and secrecy by lifting all restrictions on performance-enhancing drugs. We’re not stopping drugs in most sports, despite our best efforts. Technological advances are only pushing the goal of drug free sport further out of reach. Perhaps all substances should be allowed, provided that athletes disclose all of their drug use. Under such a system drug testing would continue and athletes would still be penalized for clandestine drug use. That way at least everyone would know where they stood…At the very least, such a full disclosure system would tell young athletes, their parents, and the public something about the price of athletic excellence.
I wish there were a better solution. I don’t resent drugs in sport because they are unnatural or because they are intrinsically unfair. I hate drugs in sport because the currently available technologies are so destructive. Sports are supposed to be healthy. Athletic competition is supposed to be about maximizing human potential, not about trading one’s future health for a handful of peak performances.
Maybe the answer is to get beyond our scruples about performance-enhancing drugs per se and concentrate on developing less harmful performance enhancers.