In today’s society, athletes are becoming celebrities in their own right. Those who excel in their respective field not only have sky-high salaries by they also bag millions of dollars from product endorsements because they often get a lot of publicity. However, some athletes choose to take short cuts and exploit drugs to enhance their athletic abilities, they would think “why not?” as long as they’re getting significant incentives for it. This is why drug testing athletes are necessary in most international sports federation.
Drug testing athletes is performed at various levels from collegiate athletes to Olympic games participants. These drug tests are being conducted to identify if athletes are taking any kind of performance-enhancing drugs. Drug testing procedure is so strict and firm that anyone who’s violating the policy shall be suspended and not allowed to join any competition.
When drug testing athletes, they are required to submit urine specimen before and after the competition. A blood sample may also be taken to detect other substance abuse because sometimes a urine sample is not enough. Though it seems like a very simple procedure, this process must be highly regulated and formally executed because if it results to a false positive an not only the athlete will suffer from its repercussions but also the sports federation.
In any case that the specimen is proven tampered, an athlete who lost his place, medal or accolade or endorsements may file a lawsuit against the federation. Strict protocols are being implemented to avoid tampering of the specimen during handling and delivering.
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Some athletes at all levels of sports competition are willing to use banned performance-enhancing drugs even if they know they are violating the rules and expose their health to hazardous situations. An example of an athlete who got disqualified and never to be heard off again is Ben Johnson, he broke the 100 meter record in 1988 Olympics but by distastefully using illegal substances.
Drug testing athletes is important because it can restrict and prohibit drug use.
Drug abuse will be prevented if there is constant and random test being conducted. To avoid unfair competition drug testing athletes is a must.
More importantly, it may save the health of athletes by giving them a better life after their competitive days.
