Psychology

According to International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), drug use, also referred to as doping is the administration of or use by competing athletes of any substance foreign to the body or any physiological substance taken in abnormal quantity or taken by an abnormal route of entry into the body with the sole intention of increasing in an artificial and unfair manner his her performance in competition (as cited in David 2003, p. 32). Drug use among athletes, has been passed off by many as a minor problem but in the real sense, drug use amongst proficient athletes is a very serious problem. The use of drugs in athletics has become so rampant that every once in a while, you get to hear of prominent athletic figures (like Olympians Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery in 2003) being reprimanded of the use of some outlawed drug. This use of drugs among athletes has reached massive magnitudes in the society and it is threatening, if not destroying, athletes through suspension or their death all over the world. The problem is attributed to the coaches, trainers and their athletes misuse certain drugs in the bid to find ways of improving the athletes performance. Most of the drugs misused by athletes include therapeutic drugs, performance-enhancing drugs and other drugs typically misused like alcohol and marijuana.

Reasons that have been given for the misuse of drugs by athletes include the conviction that their competitors also take drugs as well as the fortitude of the athletes to do anything to win. Other reasons include pressure from coaches, parents and peers, the expectations of the community from them, influence from the media, the belief that drugs will enhance their performance and the bid to hide the presence of other drugs during testing. It is a fact that drugs have been used by athletes and Olympians for a long time and athletes will do anything to gain a competitive edge over their competitors. However, it is a most unfortunate fact that certain athletes are coerced into taking drugs by someone in authority such as their coaches, trainers or team doctors. (David 2003)

Athletes have become more intrepid about mixing different types of drugs. New drugs keep on emerging in the market, which turns out to help athletes have a competitive edge. However, using drugs in sporting activities for gaining an unfair advantage presents an ethical dilemma for athletes, coaches, doctors and officials. (David 2003). This is because these drugs have a heavy impact to the health of the athletes. Most drugs used by athletes have side effects that pose serious threats to the athletes well being. It is important to note that the use of drugs by athletes is unhealthy and contradicts to the morals of sports, and therefore, it is necessary to protect the health of the athletes, the value of competition and fair play and the rights of those who take part in it. Regrettably, most officials charged with the responsibility of upholding sports values and ensuring athletes health are driven by self-interests too.

As Justice Dublin observes, sports help us learn from defeat as much as from victory and team sports foster a spirit of cooperation.importing something of moral and social valuesintegrating us as individuals to bring about a healthy integrated society. How is it then that many athletes have resorted to cheating (As cited in David 2003, p. 53)

The question Justice poses can be answered by the ethical dilemmas that face most sporting associations today. The media has given sports a completely new dimension whereby the athletes feel pressured to win. This pressure may make the athletes have the attitude that doping is very necessary to win. The nations where athletes come from also contribute to this moral dilemma. The public expectations of the nationals capacity to bring home medals of all sorts and the desire to be the best ma lead governments and sponsors to engage in performance linked payments to athletes. Unethical practices condoned by national and international sports federations like the relaxation of international Olympic Committee rules on amateurism places emphasis on winning. Infallibility of the medical profession to cure and improve performances also contributes to this dilemma.

Nevertheless, it is also important to note that many countries have drug programs whose roles are to ensure the quality of competition among athletes by checking for drug use in athletes through various tests. They ensure discipline among athletes, and some even provide treatment to affected athletes.

The lessons learnt from this paper is that the question of drug use among athletes is not entirely the athletes fault but also other people, organizations and external forces as well.

Drug use among athletes is very risky as they pose health risks to the athletes. It is time for the people involved in sports to put aside their self-interests and concentrate in ensuring the health of the athletes first priority.

The sporting organization should revise their rules and standards to ensure that sporting is not viewed as a wining competition but as a tool to bring together and integrating the society. The media too should ensure that they do not glorify winning but rather glorify the sporting event as a whole.