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Comment by uptown | Hacker News Reader

We’ll, for one it’d ruin sports. If it’s legal and up to the athlete to decide — then in order to remain competitive all athletes would need to take steroids. You’d basically be telling athletes that they’d need to subject their bodies to the side effects of steroids if they wanted to remain competitive in their sport. That seems like an unfair obligation to place on athletes.

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I heard an interesting ethical discussion about this; considering natural levels of testosterone vary considerably between humans, couldn't it be considered fairer to allow steroid use provided total levels are below a particular level? It's interesting considering that NSAIDs are used in pretty huge amounts to keep (for example) football players on the field despite injuries, so what you're talking about is already happening to a degree.

You could have the equality league where people's limbs are shaved down to the regulation length too, and they get dosed with just the right amount of alcohol and other things before the game to bring their reaction times and thinking skills down to the level playing field.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron

"In the year 2081, the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the Constitution dictate that all Americans are fully equal and not allowed to be smarter, better-looking, or more physically able than anyone else. The Handicapper General's agents enforce the equality laws, forcing citizens to wear "handicaps": masks for those who are too beautiful, loud radios that disrupt thoughts inside the ears of intelligent people, and heavy weights for the strong or athletic. "

In women, they tried to go opposite way and disallow natural production that is too high.

>considering natural levels of testosterone vary considerably between humans, couldn't it be considered fairer to allow steroid use provided total levels are below a particular level?

People have varying natural levels of testosterone. What might be low for some might be normal for others. Just making all the numbers match won't equalize the way everyone's unique bodies work

> We’ll, for one it’d ruin sports

Do you mean ruin professional sports? And for the professional sportspeople only? If so that doesn't seem on its own like a restriction that would need to apply society-wide.

Sports at all ages. High school. Elementary school. College.

These athletes play in leagues that make their own rules and have their own governing bodies. What does the civil government have to do with that?

And why should the whole world depend on some people who want to play games with each other?

You do realize there's literally sports at all ages, right? High school, elementary school?

Maybe we should ban sports, then. I don't know anyone who doesn't play sports who abuses steroids. Sounds like sports is a gateway drug.

OMG! WOULD SOMEONE! PLEASE! ANYONE! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!>?!?!

Given that pro football players basically have to subject themselves to brain damage I don't think steroids usage is too unfair of a burden.

It doesn't follow that because there is one unfair burden that one person in a broad class that any lesser burden must be tolerated by all members of the class.

Every athlete subjects themselves to the side effects of training for their sport. Most careers end with lingering injuries that just would not have happened otherwise.

Everyone is already using PEDs, sports can't possibly get more ruined

> We’ll, for one it’d ruin sports.

Sports competitions are already rife with athletes on the juice. So it's not like officially authorizing the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs in competitions would significantly change anything for the worst. One can practice a sport without choosing to enter a competition. The health benefits don't require a medal.

> You’d basically be telling athletes that they’d need to subject their bodies to the side effects of steroids if they wanted to remain competitive in their sport.

Adults are responsible for the consequences of their own decisions. No one is forcing athletes to partake in competitions. Being competitive for the Olympics already pretty much require one to begin intensive training in childhood, if not earlier.

It is very difficult for one to become a professional musician and make a comfortable living from playing music if one doesn't dedicate most of their waking hours to practice and graduate from Juilliard.

It is very difficult for one to become an investment banker if one doesn't come from a target school and has a perfect academic record.

Unless you are born rich, we all have to sacrifice something, be it time, passions, family, or money.

The entirety of civilization is built on the idea of telling adults what they are allowed to do instead of letting people choose because given all factors because disinterested parties can see that the net result of user freedom would be bad for all involved. I cannot imagine why THIS is the line to be drawn when they benefit to doing so would be so paltry and the cost so clear. Most athletes in most sports aren't using steroids. Post legalization they all would or would be beaten out by someone who is.

> So it's not like officially authorizing the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs in competitions would significantly change anything for the worst.

Citation needed. Note not a citation that there are many abusers historically but that right now steroid users aren't the minority.

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