Some feel that existing rules of drugs and sport meaningless when they are regularly flouted. They do not (necessarily) argue that rulebreaking is ethical, but they think that if authorities have any chance of being obeyed, they must take into account what is happening in reality.
The Debate
The Debate
The issue
Some people are prepared to argue, often quite forcefully, in favour of legalising performance-enhancing drugs.
Some feel that existing rules are meaningless when they are regularly flouted. They do not (necessarily) argue that rulebreaking is ethical, but they think that if authorities have any chance of being obeyed, they must take into account what is happening in reality.
Lincoln Allison is one academic who was prepared to argue in favour of legalising performance- enhancing drugs in an essay for the Guardian newspaper, Faster, stronger, higher (2004). Some of his arguments are metioned in the arguments for legalisation section.
Separate categories
Some people advocate separate categories in each sport: one for 'clean' competitors and one for those who want to make use of performance-enhancing substances. Bodybuilding already has these categories.
This, it is argued, could stop drug-taking athletes being so widely condemned and make sport look less hypocritical. It would not solve the problem of policing the 'clean' category.
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