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Paper Abstract: Argues for mandatory testing, sets guidelines for effective testing. Paper Introduction: MANDATORY DRUG TESTING IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS Introduction Should mandatory drug testing be used in professional sports? This paper presents several arguments in favor of an affirmative answer to this question. Also discussed are factors that can deter mandatory drug testing programs from achieving those goals, purposes and objectives which provide reason for their use. Arguments Favoring Mandatory Drug Testing In Professional Sports Several arguments support mandatory drug testing of professional athletes. One of these is that mandatory drug testing would help to prevent athletes from suffering the physical long-term consequences of drug-taking by bringing drug Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Theyfurther recommended more effective educational sessions, a warmer, morecomfortable testing setting, the use of more reasonable drug testingobjectives, and the development of more rigorous testing standards. M. This point has beendiscussed by Worsnop (1991), who reports that, as a result of taking drugs,professional athletes can face a number of long-term physicaldebilitations, some of which can result in serious injuries and/or death. In this regard, Burt(1987) has pointed out that the professional athlete has certainresponsibilities beyond merely playing the sport. If, for example, a young child hears about an athlete using drugs, hemight think that using drugs is all right for him as well. The economic concerns involved in issues related tosports and drugs have been eloquently stated by Worsnop (1991) as follows: If the public comes to perceive track and field, professional football, or some other major sport to be hopelessly drug- ridden, attendance and television viewership are likely to plummet. (199 ). Mandatory drug testing can help athletes to avoid these nightmaresituations by stopping them from using and/or becoming addicted to drugs. Bulletin of Narcotics, 45(2), 115-154. H., & Murray, T. In other words, despite the need for mandatory drug testing,the overall objectives of such a program will not be attained if testingmethods do not address several real concerns that have been raised. Journal of the American MedicalAssociation, 276(3), 231-237. Burt, J. Further, it noted that, in order formandatory drug testing to be maximally effective, attention had to be paidto such issues as educating players, coaches and relevant others and to theselection of what drugs to test and how to test them. Also discussed are factors that can deter mandatory drug testingprograms from achieving those goals, purposes and objectives which providereason for their use. Moreover,if the athlete's drug-taking behavior is discovered and he gets suspendedfrom games, this also hurts his team. The legacy of LennyBias and Don Rogers. For example, Ambrose (1997) has pointed out that often fellow playersor coaches are the first exposed to athletes' using drugs. Gerson, B., & Hahn, R. E. Although the major focus of the articleis on the duties of the medical review officer, the authors do note thatprofessional athletes taking drugs can be confronted with many legalissues, only one of which is the drug-taking behavior itself. (1991). These benefits included receiving new information about drugs andwhat they can do to athletic performance, simply having a novel andinteresting conversation piece, and having a socially acceptable way torefuse drugs offered in friendship. Mandatory drug testing in the UnitedStates. Mandatory drug testingwould go far in mediating these image-related problems before they occur. Drug testing of student-athletes: Another weapon in the war against drugs. In this regard,Catlin and Murray (1996) pointed out that drug testing is going to realizeits goals and objectives only to the extent that it includes a fair numberof substances. The impact of drug testing onthe morale and well-being of mandatory participants. And that could lead to financial ruin for athletes and sports promoters alike (p. If thesecoaches and/or players are not educated about the signs and symptoms ofdrug use, they will fail to identify the player's problem. Worsnop, R. According to the authors, to the extent that any drug-testingpolicy operates effectively to stop some individuals or groups ofindividuals from drug usage and possibly addiction, it is likely to beworth implementing. For example, anathlete who is high on one or more drugs can hurt or injure another person. Gerson and Hahn (199 ) have discussed some of the legal issuesinvolved in mandatory drug testing in the United States in general and inprofessional sports in particular. J., & Morse, T. Kapur, B. J. Mandatory drug testing of professional athletes will operate not onlyto reduce the likelihood of risks to athletes' physical well-being, butalso to combat economic losses to the profession and, therefore, toathletes' careers. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance,58(5), 74-79. J. 514).Mandatory drug testing could do much to stop athletes tempted to getinvolved in drug use and can show the public that the sport is determinedto keep itself clean, thereby reducing and/or avoiding the economic costsdiscussed by Worsnop. (1993). H., & Coombs, C. References Ambrose, P. Russo, C. One of these is that mandatory drug testing would help toprevent athletes from suffering the physical long-term consequences of drug-taking by bringing drug use to public and professional attention, therebyimproving the athletes' chances of receiving help. Performance-enhancing drugs,fair competition, and Olympic sport. Finally, public attention beingdrawn to any athlete who takes drugs can spoil not only the team image butalso the image of professional sports in general. A third argument supporting mandatory drug testing in professionalsports is that testing itself has been associated with a number ofpsychosocial benefits to athletes. Several arguments were just reviewed that supported the use ofmandatory drug testing in professional sports. Thispaper presents several arguments in favor of an affirmative answer to thisquestion. Thus, mandatorydrug testing programs should probably include educating athletes, coaches,and trainers about drug use and abuse; this should not only make mandatorydrug testing more effective but should also help ensure the safe andeffective use of medications. In addition to a responsibility to his fans, Burt (1987) furtherreports, an athlete also has a responsibility to his team. In other words, the behavior of professional athletes canhave tremendous influence on these groups of young people. These reasons included thefacts that mandatory drug testing can do the following: combat the dangersof drugs to an athlete's psychological and physical health; combat economicand career losses associated with negative public perceptions of athletesas drug takers; deliver several benefits to athletes, including a sociallyacceptable way to refuse drugs offered by friends; be of help in fightingthe larger war against drugs in American; and assist in athletes avoidingbecoming negative role models to young people and/or becoming involved insituations that can lead to the injury or death of others. The athlete'sperformance can suffer from drug use, and this hurts his team. (1996). Arguments Favoring Mandatory Drug Testing In Professional Sports Several arguments support mandatory drug testing of professionalathletes. Coombs and Coombs (1991) also stated that one of the more negativeexperiences associated with mandatory drug testing could be reduced ifefforts were undertaken to humanize and improve the experience and ifbetter orientations were provided to players about what to expect. Drug-testing methods and clinicalinterpretations of test results. Similarly, ifthe athlete is not severely punished once his drug-taking is discovered,the child might think that he too will get off easy. Summary This paper offered several compelling reasons for making drug testingof professional athletes mandatory. (1997). Drugs and the modern athlete. Opportunities and challenges for the medical review officer.Clinical Laboratory Medicine, 1 (3), 517-529. Based on the foregoing reasons, mandatory drug testing should be usedin professional sports; however, this conclusion is formulated on thepresumption that the kind of drug testing being used is fair, valid, andappropriate. Kapur(1993) has also noted that the selection of drugs to be tested in any givenprogram should depend on the local availability of the drug, on its abusepotential and clinical effects, and on the availability of analyticaltechnology and expertise in testing and in interpreting laboratory results. Doping control in sports--a perspective fromthe 1996 Olympic Games. Coombs, R. J. (1987). International Journalof Addiction, 26(9), 981-992. L. (1995). Russo and Morse (1995) have pointed out that mandatory drug testingin professional sports is important in that it adds another tool to thearsenal used in the general war against drugs that is being waged in thiscountry. H. (1991). However, if achild/adolescent sees that the sport wants to remediate any and allsituations involving professional athletes taking drugs, he or she will behelped to understand that taking drugs is socially unacceptable. Doping in sports. Other situations that can create legal problems concern the influenceof the drug on the athletes' behavior and state of mind. Another argument favoring mandatory drug testing centers around thesocial responsibilities of professional athletes. Athletes and Drugs, 5(33),513-52 .----------------------- 7 This has been discussed by Coombs andCoombs (1991), who found that, while some athletes' reactions to drugtesting were negative (embarrassment, humiliation, upset, anxiety), manyothers actually experienced positive benefits. MANDATORY DRUG TESTING IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS Introduction Should mandatory drug testing be used in professional sports? Another factor that can maximize the effectiveness of drug testingprograms in professional sports concerns drug types. American Journal of Health Systems Pharmacy, 54(9),1 53-1 57. Rather, Burt states,professional athletes are role models for many young children andadolescents. Some athletes said that testingbenefitted their athletic performance; athletes attending colleges oruniversities also said that drug testing had helped them improveacademically because they were less inclined to go to parties and moreinclined to stay home and study. Catlin, D. The authors recommend that, in professional sports, drugtesting should include testing for the following: stimulants, narcotics,anabolic agents, diuretics, peptides, and glycoprotein hormones as well asfor prohibited methods of enhancing performance, including blood doping andpharmacological, chemical, and physical manipulation of the urine. School Business Affairs,61(12), 6 -62. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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