steriods
... college, it might increase their chances of making it to the pro leagues (Steroids). Not to mention the scholarship money that is available to students, who excel at sports, is a lucrative bonus, as well. Organizations like the University Interscholastic League (UIL), have been considering testing students for some time now, but only recently have they set the ball in motion to begin drug testing. This is in part due to the overwhelming number of complaints about illegal steroid use. The UIL is stating numbers much higher than those of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, with the number of collegiate athletes on anabolic steroids coming in around 66%! (Leshner) The removal of steroids from college athletics would result in a more level playing field for all students. Steroids give a large number of cheaters an unfair advantage over other athletes who work equally as hard, but work with their own natural limitations. Students should compete with all their natural talents and grace as athletes, not as steroid supplemented super athletes. It really removes any semblance of competition that the sport may have had, once the steroid element enters the picture. It is most unfair to an athlete who works extremely hard to be his personal best, to be matched up against athletes that don’t put in nearly as much effort, and take the easy way out by filling their blood steams with anabolic compounds which make them three times as strong as the natural athlete. Once the element of steroids is removed from athletics, we will see natural athletes pushing themselves harder to become better because of the closeness of the competition of their rivals, instead of being discouraged by super human pill poppers. Finally and most importantly, the health of the would be steroid taking athletes must be addressed. Athletes need to be educated in the risks involved with taking anabolic steroids, which may deter some of them from taking them. The others must be forcefully stopped from taking anabolic steroids because of the complications and side effects caused by them. Anabolic steroids are known to cause kidney and liver damage, increased risk of heart disease, increased baldness, a breakdown of the immune system, increased headaches and high blood pressures, just to name a few of...