JUST HOW DETRIMENTAL ARE PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS TO SPORTS?

Abstract

This thesis challenges the idea that performance enhancing drugs only serve to undermine the spirit of athletics and the overall health of athletes. While there are obvious instances in which PEDs are a detriment to overall health, this is not always the case. I challenge the notion that making the decision to use PEDs is a bad choice. This is done by way of contrasting bad choices from hard choices. In addition, I point out flaws in some of the most common arguments against the use of PEDs. Namely, these are unequal access and effort. Unequal access fails since there are elements of unequal access present in other aspects of sports that nobody seems to have a problem with. And effort is insufficient since it is a rather abstract term and there is in fact effort involved in PED usage. Finally, I discuss the problem facing sporting officials today in determining what exactly what should count as a PED and what should not. All of these things lead me eventually to the conclusion that performance enhancing drugs are not as detrimental to sports as a whole.