The Use of Drugs in Australian Sports - Term Paper Example

Drugs in Sport Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Executive Summary The use of drugs in sports and in general is a growing problem in Australian society. One of the drugs which are widely used is steroids, which are used by people in order for them to improve their physical looks. There are various effects of the use of steroids on the society which will be discussed in this report. The report will discuss about the health side effects of steroids, the risk of discontinuity on the society, the rise of social vices and the rise in the number of dependant people in the society. The report will also give a discussion of the effects and give recommendations to counter the use of steroids in Australia. The conclusion will give a summary of what is covered in the report. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Table of Figures 3 Drugs in Sport 4 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Background Information: Overview on Steroids 5 3.0. Analysis 5 Effects of Steroids on the Australian Society 5 3.1 Health Side Effects 5 3.2 Increased Number of Dependant People 6 3.3 Change of Personality- Root of Social Vices 7 3.4. Impotency- Threat to the Continuity of the Society 7 5.0 Steroids in Sports 8 4.0 Discussion 9 5.0 Recommendations 10 6.0 Conclusion 10 References 11 Table of Figures Figure 1 : The number of drug detentions at the Australian borders (Australian Crime Commission 2012, p.1). 9 Drugs in Sport 1.0 Introduction The health of a nation is directly proportional its productivity. The better the state of health, the more productive a nation is and the vice versa also holds true. Moreover, the state of health in a nation determines the quality of life lived by the residents of a country. Ideally, it is common sense that a person suffering from health disorders is living a low quality life which is most likely unproductive (Business Council Australia 2011, 2). For this reason, it has being the plight of national authorities, with the Australian authorities included to enact legal and policy measures aimed at ensuring that all the factors which compromise on the health of the citizens are countered. One of these aspects which the Australian government and the health sector have for a long time tried to fight is the abuse of steroids. The use of steroids is very common in young people, who want to alter their appearance. The use of steroids is also very common in sportsmen who want to change their physical looks to be a more athletic (Clayton 1999, p.12). The illegal use of steroids is oblivious of the adverse effects on the user and the society at large. The following paper will take a deep insight into the effects of the use of steroids on the Australian society. 2.0 Background Information: Overview on Steroids To start with, it is important to understand what steroids are and how they are administered. Steroids are synthetic drugs which are taken to increase the muscular development of the users, thus acting as the testosterone hormone in males (Miller & Draper 2001. p.12). Therefore, the users of steroids use them in order to improve their muscular look, thus explain the reason as to why steroids use is very common in athletes and sportsmen. There are those steroids which are prescribed by decal doctors in such instances as when there is a retarded growth and development of patients. However, the majority of steroids users do so illegally. Steroids are normally admitted via injections, which is great potential health risk by itself. There are numerous adverse effects of the use of steroids in the Australian society just as in any other society facing the same problem. The following section will discuss those effects. 3.0. Analysis Effects of Steroids on the Australian Society 3.1 Health Side Effects One of the major effects of the abuse of steroids is their side effects on the health of the user (Lau 2008, p.6). There are numerous effects of the abuse of steroids in the users. Some are long term while others are long term. The major health effects on the user of steroids includes acne which is as a result of the enlargement of the sebaceous glands which in turn leads to more secretion of oils on the skin, shrinking of the testicles due to their inactive state when external testosterone is introduced via steroids, gynecosmastia which is associated with large breasts for men, high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, malfunctioning of the liver and balding in women (Buttriss 1989, p12). The above side effects of steroids are short term. The other effects of the use of steroids is heart attacks and associated problems due to high blood pressure and cholesterol, liver disorders, neurology disorders, problems with weight, injuries o the joints and ligaments, stunted growth and a change in the personality of an individual. From the effects of the use of steroids, it can be seen that they make the health of an individual to be unstable (Lau 2008, p.6). This consequently deprives the society of a substantial number of men and women towards nation building. Going by the increased rate of use of steroids by young people, it can be seen that there is a looming problem in the society because of a possible scenario whereby there will be a lot of sickly people as a result of the abuse of steroids, hence lowering the productivity of the nation. 3.2 Increased Number of Dependant People With the increase in the number of health problems, there is an increase in the number of dependant people. Unfortunately, the dependency state which is introduced by the use of steroids is uncalled for owing to the fact that it is self inflicted. In such times when the country is trying to come into terms with the sharp increase in the dependency levels associated with an ageing nation, a self inflicted dependency state such as the one associated with the use of steroids waters down the efforts which the government has made so far (Business Council Australia, 2011, p.6). In addition to this, the health problems which arise as a result of the se of steroids increase the pressure on the health and social institutions in the country. Generally, the use of steroids in the society is a setback to the country’s economy due to the fact that it renders the users unproductive and also takes up a substantial amount of resources from the national kitty in order to manage its effects. 3.3 Change of Personality- Root of Social Vices Another effect of the use of steroids on the society is that it leads to the onset of several society vices. The use of steroids tends to later the personality of the user (Clayton 1999, p.13). This in turn makes the user to do several things which are out of his ordinary attributes. One of the most dominant side effects of the use of steroids is the increased rage and aggression in the user. This in turn leads to violence as the individuals try to prove their masculinity. This is a major problem facing the society as the steroid uses engage each other and others in fights so as to prove themselves. Looking at the school setting whereby the use of steroids is rampant, it can be seen that the use of steroids is a major problem. Students are trying to fix their bodies to the look of athletes and on the way, experiencing the side effects of steroid use. Peer pressure in schools is the triggering factor which influences the increased use of steroids in schools. Therefore, the change of personality which is associated with the use of steroids is a threat to society values. The onset of unwarranted violence and aggression are some of the vices which the society has to face due to the use of steroids by its members. 3.4. Impotency- Threat to the Continuity of the Society The risk of distorting or threatening the continuity of the society is also a major effect of the use of steroids. Generally, the future of a society is determined partly by the ability of the society to procreate; hence leading to the creation of the future members of the society. Generally, the Australian society is facing a population balance crisis. The percentage of elderly people is increasing day by day while the percentage of the young population is decreasing. This is a major problem to the society owing to the various adverse effects of an aging society. Linking it with the use of steroids, it can be seen that one of the long term effects of the use of steroids is impotence (Lau 2008, p.6). This in turn means that there is a danger that a large number of steroids users would not be able to procreate. This means that they will not contribute to the creation of the future generation/ society. In addition to this, they will ultimately become dependants in the society, hence proving more imbalances to the already imbalanced society. Therefore, the use of steroids is a threat to the future society as well as the present. 5.0 Steroids in Sports There is a high demand of steroids in sports. In fact, the largest consumers of steroids in Australia have a connection to sports. Looking at the graph below, it can be seen that the demand for steroids in the country have risen tremendously. Figure 1 : The number of drug detentions at the Australian borders (Australian Crime Commission 2012, p.1). The rise in the demand of steroids in sports is directly proportional to this rise. This is due to the fact that most sportsmen desire to have the perfect athlete body. The masculine body in athletic men and the fine curves in athletic women is the desire of each sportsman. However, not every one of them has them, hence turning to steroids so that they can boost their look. In addition to improving their physical look, steroids also boost their performances, hence gaining an advantage over their ‘normally functioning’ competitors. This is the respond as to why there are strict measures with regard to the tests of the use of steroids in sportsmen in order to ensure that there is fairness in sports. 4.0 Discussion Due to the adverse effects which the use of steroids has on the Australian society, the government has enacted several legislative measures aimed at ensuring that this vice is countered with the force that is deserved. According to the Australian Crime Commission, the number of detections of steroids in the country’s borders in the year 2009 to 2010 had increased by 74% which is alarming (Australian Crime Commission 2012, p.1). In a bid to counter the use of steroids in the country, the government ought to enact strong policies which ensure that the Australian society does not go towards the steroid society. 5.0 Recommendations The government should enact more strict laws in order to curb the distribution and sale of drugs. More check points should be established in attrition to establishment of severe punishments for offenders. Awareness campaigns should also be established with a view of ensuring that the rise in the use of steroids in young people is counted. Schools should conduct random drug tests in order to control the use of drugs in sports and in general. 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has discussed about the several effects of the use of steroids to the Australian society. In the paper, it has been stressed that the steroids should not be used without the advice of a medical doctor. Centrally to this, it has been seen that there has been a sharp increase in the rate of the use of steroids in Australia. Is the country turning out to be a steroid society? The essay has pointed out that the use of steroids leads to an increase in the dependency levels in a society, which is as a result of the long term effects of the use of steroids. The high number of health disorders resulting from its abuse imparts a lot of pressure on the social and health facilities. The health disorders related to the use of steroids leads to a reduction in the productivity of the population, hence reducing the productivity of the society. From the essay, it has also been seen that the use of steroids leads to the development of several behaviors which are contrary to the social values. This is due to the change of personality which is associated with the users of steroids. From this essay, it can be conclude that the effects of the use of steroids on the society are adverse, hence the need for the society and the government to enact appropriate policies to deal with it. References Australian Crime Commission, 2012. Other Drugs, Australian Crime Commission, Viewed On 4th December 2013 from < http://www.crimecommission.gov.au/publications/illicit-drug-data-reports/2010-11/index/other-drugs> Business Council Australia, 2011. Using Microeconomic Reform to Deliver Patient centered Health care, Business Council Australia, pp.1-44 Buttriss,J., 1989.The Silent Epidemic, Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 89, No. 6 ; pp. 12 - 15 Clayton, L., 1999. Steroids. The Rosen Publishing Group Inc. Lau, D., 2008. Steroids 1ed., The Rosen Publishing Group Inc. Miller, M., & Draper, G., 2001. Statistics on Drug Use in Australia 2000, Drug Statistics Series Number 8, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, pp. 1-83 Read More