The British celebrity tabloid “News of the World” published a photograph of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps hitting a bong accompanied by an article suggesting he was an experienced cannabis user. Recreational marijuana use is a banned “in-competition” substance unlike anabolic steroids. Cannabis use is permitted by the IOC and WADA Anti-Doping Code outside of competition in spite of its illegal status in the United States. Michael Phelps quickly issued a public statement apologizing for his behavior which many accepted as an admission of his cannabis use (“Phelps Apologizes for Marijuana Pipe Photo,” February 1).
I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.
Fortunately, the general public rejected the tabloid’s attempt to sensationalize Phelps’ pot use as an unforgiveable moral failure. The changing public attitudes towards marijuana use have enabled public figures to dismiss incidents of recreational illicit drug use as “youthful indiscretions.” The acceptance of marijuana use by Michael Phelps regrettably comes at the expense of anabolic steroids.
The main difference between anabolic steroids and marijuana with respect to athletes involves the drug’s effects on athletic performance. Steroids help performance; pot hurts performance. Ironically, a substance that allow an athlete to work harder and perform better is EVIL; a substance that diminishes an athlete’s ability to work hard and perform is GOOD. The goal-directed motivations of steroid users are BAD.Aside from that main difference, anti-drug warriors who demonize steroids and pot use the same arguments: steroids and pot are both illegal, they are both dangerous, they are harmful to children; athletes who use steroids and/or pot represent poor role models, etc.
Twitter activity provided a good reflection of the public’s relief that Phelps only used pot and not those evil steroids.
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/lilizerquera/statuses/1168137884″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/lizziekeiper/status/1168879349″]
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[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/Greg4cr/statuses/1166229036″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/timvalentine/statuses/1171123834″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/ComplicatedMama/statuses/1173016623″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/caferozella/statuses/1167671069″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/pareidoliac/statuses/1172325367″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/sweetposerent/statuses/1171248880″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/dianarwallach/statuses/1170983995″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/brujosol”]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/jimshreds/statuses/1168693464″]
The collective relief that Phelps ONLY used marijuana and NOT anabolic steroids is a sad consequence of the steroid hysteria in the contemporary war on steroids. In spite of objective reviews of the scientific literature indicating that the side effects of anabolic steroids are minimal and certainly no worse than the side effects of cannabis use, steroids represent the true evil.
The general public accepts an individual’s choice to engage in recreational drugs such as pot but not steroids. Similarly, Michael Phelps’ $100 million sponsors – Speedo, Visa, Omega, PowerBar, AT&T, Subway, Kellogg’s, Mazda – are all willing to continue supporting Phelps. The story would have ended differently if Michael Phelps got caught using steroids. Certainly, the steroids would have most likely resulted in sanctions against Phelps. But it highlights the true reason why steroids are unacceptable in sports – they enhance performance. Forget about the side effects, harming children and role model arguments. Enhancing performance is the issue at the heart of the matter.
About the author
Millard writes about anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs and their use and impact in sport and society. He discusses the medical and non-medical uses of anabolic-androgenic steroids while advocating a harm reduction approach to steroid education.
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