Drug Testing Athletes—Is it Necessary?

Athletes are always put on a pedestal especially in today’s society. They are given a lot of publicity and if they truly excel in their respective field, not only they have sky-high salaries but also they manage to get million-dollar endorsements. However, some athletes choose to take short cuts and exploit drugs to enhance their athletic abilities, they would think “why not?” as long as they’re getting significant incentives for it. This is why drug testing athletes are necessary in most international sports federation.

Drug testing athletes is required even in various levels, from collegiate to Olympic athletes. Drug tests are conducted to identify if the athletes are taking performance-enhancing drugs and how far have they abused their body by taking these drugs. These procedures are very strict and firm that if there is anyone found violating the policies must not be allowed to join any competition or should be suspended.

When drug testing athletes, they are required to submit urine specimen before and after the competition. To detect other substance abuse, sometimes urine is not enough; it may require some blood specimen. It may look like a simple procedure but it is highly regulated as it is a formal process that may have a lot of consequences if not regarded appropriately.

An athlete may lost his place, medal or accolades and even endorsements if found positive then after an appeal, it turns out that the specimen has been tampered. This is why there are strict protocols in handling and delivering the specimen so that it would be tamper proof.

Unluckily, there are still some athletes in all levels of sports competition who continues to use performance-enhancing drugs even if they are aware that it will jeopardize their careers and health. For example, Ben Johnson, the athlete who broke the 100 meter record in the 1988 Olympics with his bulging muscles got disqualified and never to be heard off again.

Drug testing athletes is crucial because it can preserve the integrity of sportsmanship by prohibiting drug use.

If athletes are constantly and randomly tested, they are prevented from using drugs. Drug testing athletes also avoids unfair competition.

Finally it can also save the health of athletes give them a better quality of life after their competitive days.