In a world where winning in sports is gradually becoming a do-or-die affair, the problem of illegal use of performance enhancing drugs and other substances is bound to continue if not checked on time. Year in, year out, the number of sportsmen and women who use these substances have been on the increase, and the major drive behind this is the competitive advantage that the illegal use of these substances bring. So far, many prominent athletes such as Marion Lewis, Lance Armstrong, etc. have been suspended due to this habit. The question now remains, is there a way to stop this abuse of performance enhancing substances?
One rationale behind the inability of sport associations and other bodies to checkmate this untoward habit so far in sports is the lack of unity and agreement among them. A situation where some associations vehemently discourage the use of steroids and other associations turn a blind eye to it would not help in the fight. There has to be a unification of strategies and ideas behind finding a way to stop this behavior among athletes and other sportsmen.
Again, there is the need to make athletes see the negative consequences of their actions. They need to be shown how the use of drugs impacts on the integrity of the game. The negative effects on the human body aside, most of these athletes are role models to a large population of young people and the continued use of performance enhancing drugs by these athletes would encourage a lot of these youths to do the same, and therefore destroy their biological systems unknowingly.
It is a definitely a difficult battle, trying to stop the use of performance enhancing drugs in athletes, but also a battle that can be won. However, it is going to demand the cooperation of the sportsmen and women themselves, their families, trainers, sporting bodies and associations, and the general public in designing a well-planned, executed, and sustainable model aimed at ending and preventing the recurrence of this scourge in the future.
