WWE’s John Cena interviewed Christopher Bell, the director of the steroid documentary ‘Bigger Stronger Faster*’ about the hypocrisy of anabolic steroid laws. Cena asked about anabolic steroids when compared and contrasted with legal, acceptable drugs that are more addictive and harmful than steroids. Chris Bell offered an excellent response criticizing the demonization of steroids suggesting that society has “deemed steroids immoral simply because they are illegal” (“Cena talks to ‘Bigger, Stronger, Faster*’ creator,” October 12).
Cena: Why do you think the government is drawing the line on what is acceptable and what is not, because I remember your first film “ Billy Jones “ which is short film about nicotine addiction, which is also an acceptable, buy-over-the-counter addictive substance. There are substances like caffeine. Then on the other side, you have illegal substances, like marijuana, like anabolic steroids, even all these recreational drugs. Why do you think the line has been drawn where some are OK, and some aren’t, when all of them have been shown to increase addictive behavior, or possibly, in excess, harm a human being?
Bell: You saw what happened when they tried prohibition back in the ’30s. It didn’t work. People wanted alcohol so they found a way to get it. Unfortunately, our country was founded on tobacco and slavery. That’s one of the most unfortunate things in the history of our country. It’s something that has so much money involved in it. It’s something that’s so ingrained in our society and our culture. It’s a drug that kills 435,000 Americans a year. Alcohol kills 75,000 Americans every year. Deaths related to anabolic steroids “ according to the Centers for Disease Control “ are three people a year on average. You’re basically looking at those numbers, and go, Yeah, three people is too many any time. But what about the 435,000 people who are dropping dead from cigarettes? You never deem anything immoral simply because it’s illegal. It doesn’t mean you can go ahead and use it but it means that I think we’ve deemed steroids immoral simply because they are illegal.
The lesson about illegality conferring immorality is an important one. Chris Bell echoes Professor Sidney Gendin’s application of the lessons of Plato to the steroid debate. According to Gendin:
Most of them think illegality confers illegitimacy because they are told to think that. The great lesson of Plato’s dialogue EUTHYPHRO is that we should not declare anything immoral merely because it is illegal. That is putting the proverbial cart before the horse.
“Bigger Stronger Faster” is the most honest and truthful documentary about anabolic steroids that we have seen. The “Bigger Stronger Faster” DVD debuted at the 2008 Olympia Expo in Las Vegas this weekend. It can now be purchased from Amazon.
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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