Hurting others, hurting relationships, damaged mind, damaged body. These are all effects of drug use. People have been cheated out of medals and championships they rightfully won because the other team had an unfair advantage. Steroids/doping is bad overall, but yet, athletes still use them. According to an article in the journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, across all sports, an estimated 2 percent of high-level athletes have used restricted drugs within the past year. A total of 133 medals have been stripped, since 1968, have been stripped from athletes who cheated and/or used performance-enhancing drugs.

Far too many athletes have used or are using drugs to better their performance, resist their pain, raise their endurance, etc. It is too easy to cheat in sports events and the Olympics and the athletes know it.

Some negatives are baldness, acne, liver problems, increase risk of heart disease and cancers, and increase risk of any illnesses you might have now. It can also increase the serotonin levels in your brain and cause dysfunctions.

Doping is not good at all. Doping is unfair to athletes who competed fairly and it can also lead to many diseases mentally and physically.

Doping is rightfully banned in the Olympics but then why is it so easy to use steroids, compete with steroids, and win with steroids with nobody testing you for it before and after the competition.

The International Olympic Committee must test everyone for performance-enhancing drugs before and after competitions, and if the tests come back positive, ban them from competitive events until the season is over or even for life. Anyone who abuses performing-enhancing substances to gain an unfair advantage over their peers must be permanently removed from all competitive sporting activities with no questioning to it.

Performance-enhancing drug use is unacceptable and must never be tolerated at any level of sports. However, if the steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs are for medical reasons you should not be participating in competitive events. The only drugs that are acceptable are prescription drugs, taken at the right amount, that help keep you alive. Again, if you have an illness or life-threatening disease you should not be participating. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse using drugs can lead to both mental problems and physical problems. If you’re pregnant it can affect your child you’re carrying.

“If the gold medal Olympic winner uses performance-enhancing drugs why can’t I use them?” When an athlete dopes it sheds light on them and the drug-using. Drugs are unhealthy socially, mentally, and physically. It can and will hurt those around you. Drug abuse is unhealthy and the International Olympics Committee needs to understand that and enforce anti-drug abuse rules.