Steroids should be banned in all pro sports

steroids damage your body mentally and physically

I thank my opponent for creating this debate.

Definitions:

Sport - the occupation of athletes who compete for pay.
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu...

Athlete - a person trained to compete in sports
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu...

Steroid - any of several fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis 17 carbon atoms in four rings; many have important physiological effects
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu...

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Arguments
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Many steroids have legitimate medical uses such as the treatment of arthritis, many skin conditions, hay fever, and joint pain. Athletes that suffer from these conditions would be unable to continue competing if steroids were banned from use.
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The resolution is negated.

[1] http://generalmedicine.suite101.com...

Steroids will not make the game more fun for the players, or inserting for the audience. If one team takes steroids and the other team doesn't it won't be a fair game. Taking steroids for one whole month to show off your skills in a sport for one day isn't worth it. The affirmative's plane will not solve nor make it better. Already many players take steroids and only get banned for ten days, and then they get to come back like nothing happened. Taking steroids to improve your skills in sports just doesn't make sense, when you're destroying your body mentally and physically. An ESPN article stated the new improved rules for the steroid policy: A first positive test a fifty game ban, a second positive test a one hundred game ban, a third positive a lifetime ban, these rules were in effect on Nov. 2005. As you can see these rules are strict. If you would want to take this MLB policy away it will only increase the number of steroid active users. Taking steroids cause a number of side effects. The effects destroy your body mentally and physically. An article from TeensHealth said that the effects for women and men are hair loss, anger depression, delusion, vomiting, high blood pressure, liver damage and many more. The specific risks for women are increased facial hair, deepening of the voice. Some specific risks for men are sterility the inability to have children, breast development, and pain while urinating. There are many so many other side effects that I could not list them all. The advantages of players who took steroids would make the game unfair. For example a pitcher who took steroids, who pitched a ball at 97mph, is not fair to someone who doesn't take steroids and pitches at 87mph, with equal throwing power before taking steroids. Taking the game will make the game totally unfair. If one team took steroids they would run twice as fast and throw harder and farther.

I thank my opponent for his response.

My opponent is making his case based on the effects of anabolic steroids. This is only one type of steroid whereas the resolution calls for the ban of steroids in general. In my argument I contend that if steroids were completely banned from use in all professional sports then athletes that use corticosteroids to treat their conditions would be barred from competition. I will state again that corticosteroids are used to treat skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and allergies. They also are used to treat hay fever, many autoimmune disorders such rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and polymyalgia rheumatica. Corticosteroids are also used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients. Sometimes they are injected into joints to reduce joint pain and swelling.

If these facts are not enough to convince the voters I will also provide an argument as to why Anabolic steroids do not need to be banned from _all_ professional sports.

Anabolic steroids are used to improve and accelerate muscle growth. This gives these athletes an unfair strength advantage and is the main reason that they are banned. There are many professional sports where strength means nothing. These sports include [2]:

* Auto-Racing
* Curling
* Motorcycle Racing
* Speedway
* Radio-controlled model
* Video Games

My opponent may also argue that since aggression is a side-effect of steroid use that they should be banned. I contend that this is not the case as aggression alone does not pose a threat. It is only when a person actually causes harm to another that is a problem. This is a crime in and of itself and would possibly lead to jail time for the aggressor and legitimate ejection from a sporting league.

I look forward to my opponent's response.

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org...

Using steroids helps you improve your skills for a certain amount of time, but in the long run it damages your body in different ways (mentally and physically). Anabolic Steroids are artificially produced hormones that are similar to the androgens, the male-type sex hormones in the body. ("Steroids") Steroid Supplements contain -dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione ( also know as andro) (Steroids ; Steven Dowshen, MD).For the most part, steroidal supplements, which used to be found at health food stores or gyms, are now illegal and require a prescription. Natural made steroids (from your body) are what your body produces naturally to support such functions as fighting stress and promoting growth and development. Professional sport leagues should keep the policy of no steroid use and make it stricter.
������������� Taking steroids can cause many different side effects which can be very serious or can be long-lasting. Some of them are hair loss, high blood pressure that can damage the hear or blood vessels over time, believing things that aren't true (delusion), liver damage, aching joints, and many more. Many of these effects will stay for a number of years, and will be hard to reverse ("Steroid Abuse in Today's Society"). Some specific risks for women are increase in facial fair and deepening of the voice. Some specific risks for men are inability to have children and pain when urinating. People who inject the drug with a needle are at the risk of infection with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), virus that causes AIDS (kidshealth.org ; Steroids ; Steven Dowshen, MD).
������������� People mostly only think about the side effects while taking steroids, but there are effects after using steroids too. A lot of people tell themselves that they'll only take steroids for a season or a limited time. Unfortunately steroids are addictive. Once people stop taking steroids they are at a risk of getting irritability, paranoia, and severe depression, which may lead to suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide("Steroids" ; Steven Dowshen, MD). Also people who take steroids and stop, they are at the risk of using other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. The long term effects of steroid use might not show for a number of years ("Steroids" ; Steven Dowshen, MD).
������������� Current rules in professional sports on using steroids in (MLB) are not as strict as they should be( "Should performance enhancing drugs (such as steroids) be accepted in sports?" ; various authors). A first positive test would result in a suspension of up to ten days, a second positive test a thirty-day ban, a third positive test a sixty day penalty and a fourth positive test a one year ban ("New Steroids Rules For Baseball" Joel Roberts). Rob Manfred, the executive vice president for labor relations for MLB outlined the major parts of the new agreement : There would be year round testing for steroids for all its players. There will be off-season testing. Major League Baseball is expanding its list of banned substances.("New Steroids Rules For Baseball ; Joel Roberts")
Again steroids help you improve your skills for a certain amount of time, but in the long run it damages your body in many different ways (mentally and physically) ("Are Steroids as bad as we think they are? Drake Bennett, Globe staff) If players actually knew the real side effects were not as many would take steroids. Many websites that sell steroids illegally do not list the actual effects of taking steroids
("Side Effects of Steroids", Anthony Roberts). Professional sports leagues should make it much stricter (MLB in piratical).

I thank my opponent for his response.

My opponent has neglected to respond to any of my points and instead just kept going on about how Anabolic Steroids are bad for you; a point which I am not denying.

The resolution of the debate is "Steroids should be banned in all pro sports," my two arguments were that corticosteroids are used to treat a multitude of medical conditions and that steroid use would not affect the outcome of those listed sports. My opponent did not even address these points.

I end the debate with the resolution negated and urge a Con vote.