Should the Olympics legalize doping?

By Caroline Siede  |  August 5, 2016 | 3:00pm
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Should the Olympics legalize doping?
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“The Olympics has always been the ultimate test of the fastest, highest, and strongest athletes,” explains Vanessa Hill of the BrainCraft YouTube channel. “And now it seems like a test of which athletes and countries can get away with using prohibited drugs or supplements to win that test.” She explains that one anonymous survey from 2010 revealed that 29-45 percent of athletes admitted to doping even though another 2014 report found that only 1-3 percent are caught. So Hill asks the simple question, “Should the Olympics just allow doping?”

She breaks down the pros and cons of this argument, including that the list of banned substances is currently random (caffeine, for example, is allowed even though it improves endurance). And she points out that by legalizing and regulating performance enhancing drugs, doctors would be able to openly monitor athletes’ health rather than forcing them to sneak around. It’s an interesting, if slightly counterintuitive, rationale. But until they legalize being a dick, however, Lance Armstrong shouldn’t get too excited.

 
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