Doping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Doping - Essay Example In the modern international sports situations, one of the often debated issues is one that is concerning the use of performance enhancing drugs that are related with serious medical problems and their use is illegal. It is a practice against the international standards of the sports activities and is very much considered as the evil affecting the sports and games in the current sports culture. â€Å"Performance-enhancing drugs pose a significant risk to the health of athletes, especially young athletes. Furthermore, the use of performance-enhancing drugs is detrimental to the reputation of sports†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doping. 2005). Winning medals at the cost of any social conduct or the social order is the fashion of the day. It is notable that in the modern world of sports, many a young athlete, discarding the risks involved in the use of these drugs go on using them and the practice of doping among the youth, internationally, is at an alarming rate today. Thus, there arises the great role of doping control which has a set of well articulated objectives and designs. However in the act of doping control, there are many things to be considered. There are various emotive issues raised by the doping control activities upon which there are predictably different views. Any set of doping control rules needs to be built on sound base. Specifically, the rules must make sure the principles of natural justice and the procedures must be such as to produce fair and consistent outcomes. (O'Leary 2001, p. 11). It is remarkable to note that "throughout history, there are examples that athletes have sought a magic potion to give them that extra edge, to help them take a short cut to achieving a good performance or to enable them to compete under circumstances when otherwise it might not have been possible, such as injury or illness. Today's athletes may simply be following previous traditions." (Mottram 2003, p. 29). This extensive use of drugs and other performance-enhancing substances have been one of the chief issues with the international sports today. In the UK, as in other nations, the controlling of their use has been given primary attention in the legal system related to sports. In the modern scenario, the drug control in sports has been considered one of the primary concerns of the legal system. The international sports law is primarily concerned with the control of drugs and doping in sports. There are many international organisations working in this field, most important among the m being the Olympic Movement. "The governing network or structure of international sports law extends beyond the Olympic Movement. Intergovernmental organizations also formulate and enforce international sports law. Such organizations include Unesco, the Commonwealth Federation, bilateral arrangements, and regional organizations such as the European Communities and the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa. Typically, they recognize the authority of the Olympic Movement but expand its rules and develop new institutions." (International Sports Law: a Replay of Characteristics and Trends. James A. R. Nafziger - author. Journal Title: American Journal of International Law. Volume: 86. Issue: 3. Publication Year: 1992. Page Number: 493.) Apart from these, the involvement of various nations in the activity of doping control is also remarkable. There are international agencies for their support. The International Convention against Doping in Sport signals governmental support for the World Anti-Doping Code which has various sporting organisations as its signatories. (International Convention against Doping in Sport. 2005). All the international sports nations give utmost priority to these and there have been many organisations all through the sports activity which confirms that the sports arena is without the evils of such practices. The system in the UK to control the doping has been particularly acclaimed. In Britain, all the registered competitors need to be tested for drug abuse. (Drugs, Sport and Doping Control. P. 1).