Michael Johnson, an Olympic legend from the US, was stripped of one of his well deserved gold medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games because one of his teammates admitted to taking Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED’s) during the events. In a USA Today article written in 2008, Johnson states, “I know that the medal was not fairly won and that it is dirty.” He understood that giving up his gold title was the honorable thing to do and felt betrayed by his teammate. Many athletes have been accused of doping to advance in their career; however, it is an ethical decision that changes sports all together. Our world has become a place where cheating in all aspects of our lives is common to advance over our peers. Plagiarism in schools, plastic surgery for appearances, and now doping to win medals. Athletic competitions were designed to be fair, equal, and enjoyable for everyone,…show more content… Keith Burgess-Jackson, JD, PhD wrote in an article expressing how dangerous steroids can be and that as a society we need to be safe keeping our athletes from a future identical to Ken’s. Many sportsmen do not understand the hazardous activity they would be partaking for only a moment of glory. Anabolic Steroids, the most common PED used by athletes, can provoke many uncomfortable or deadly side effects. The most common side effects are: kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease, severe acne, depression, high blood pressure, Gynecomastia (enlargement of breast tissue in men), and infertility in women. Anyone abusing Anabolic steroids will also suffer from withdrawals if taken off the drugs. Mood swings, restlessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, and depression are all repercussions of withdrawing from steroids (L. Anderson). The addiction that coincides with taking PED’s ruin the sportsman's body and any opportunity they would have for a healthy
