The Issues

The controversies over genetic manipulation will strike at the heart of sports. How far can a person manipulate their genetic makeup before they cannot be considered human? What if human DNA is crossed with animal DNA - is a half-man/half-cheetah that runs a 3-minute mile an athlete or an animal? While the issues of genetic engineering are forthcoming, the same issues are encountered on a smaller scale with the use/prohibition of steroids. Although it is not generally thought that athletes using steroids are more animal than man, the same questions about fair competition and concern for athlete's health remain prevalent.

Professional Issues
There are two sorts of professionals that we will take into consideration: the athletes (including professional, collegiate, and recreational) and the physicians. Athletes are allowed and expected to dedicate their lives to reaching their ultimate potential. These rigorous demands can have detrimental consequences that affect the athlete physically, mentally and emotionally. So why are athletes who willingly sacrifice their minds and bodies denied enhancing drugs that could provide better and faster results? Side effects of steroids, such as heart attack, stroke, and liver damage, are also shown to be common among athletes who partake in harsh diets and extreme overexertion. And some research suggests the more severe side effects of steroids are generally the result of steroid abuse - that under medical supervision, the positive affects can be experienced with only the less serious consequences like acne and coarse skin. Ultimately, the strict guidelines forbidding steroid use can potentially lead to even more detrimental health risks.

On the other hand, if steroids were allowed to become commonplace in sports, athletes would almost be forced to take them in order to compete at the same level. This raises the question of whether it is fair to force athletes to risk dangerous long-term effects in order to compete in athletic events.
In the United States, steroids must be obtained through a doctor's prescription. This forces doctors to decide whether or not they will provide healthy people with prescription drugs. But is it better to deny steroids to athletes who will most likely find another source or is it better to regulate and supervise the use of steroids to help prevent the worst side effects?

Legal Issues

There are laws within the United States that prevents the distribution of anabolic steroids without a medical prescription. It has long been the goal of society to prevent the abuse of potentially devastating drugs, but the enforcement of the steroid laws is much less intense than laws concerning other drugs because steroid use does not usually bring with it the additional crime that heroine or cocaine might.

The existing laws prevent the distribution of steroids from pharmaceutical companies, creating a huge black market that distributes steroids obtain from other countries. Is it better to have steroid laws that prevent established drug companies from selling steroids to individuals or to have regulations that will ensure safer, higher quality, more regulated distribution of the drugs? And since international legislation is not universal, how can US law be effectively enforced when other countries freely provide access to anabolic steroids?

Ethical Issues
Steroids are ethically questionable on many levels. By condoning drug use for the sake of athletic achievement is a dangerous precedent that could quickly lead to abuse and devastation. And the application of steroids to increase physical appeal often ignores underling emotional and social problems. Is it more important to overcome physical insecurities through physical development or through spiritual and psychological maturity?
Another huge issue surround steroid use and that is sure to grow with the advancement of genetic manipulation is the protection of the human spirit. How far should people be allowed to change their chemical and genetic makeup in order to attain greatness? While sports superstars often epitomize human achievement, the "human" part is could easily be lost in the heat of competition. It is clear that what we as human beings value in athletic competition is vulnerable to the threats of drug abuse and genetic manipulation.