Drug Abuse Among Professional Athletes Essay - 947 Words

Drug abuse among professional basketball players is a problem as old as time. In some circumstances it may not be the athletes fault. For example when they are treating a minor cough or a cold, the medications used will sometimes contain small amounts of alcohol. On the other hand some athletes purposely abuse drugs for a variety of reasons. Some attempt to cover up the presence of other drug abuse but most abuse drugs because they will enhance their performance. The most common abused drugs in professional basketball are: anabolic steroids, marijuana, and amphetamines. Each drug has its own effect on performance, and disciplinary actions. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;When an athlete uses anabolic steroids, they usually feel that they†¦show more content†¦Apathy, impaired judgment, loss of ambition, and an inability to carry out long-term plans characterize the motivational syndrome. Just like steroid abuse has its consequences and disciplinary actions so does marijuana abuse. Marijuana also has the same three testing methods as steroids have: reasonable cause, first-year, and veteran. For a first offense of marijuana possession or use, the player will be required to enter the substance abuse program with no suspension or fine. On a second offense, the player will be fined $15,000 and be required to re-enter the program. A third offense will result in a five game suspension and another entry into the program. Any further abuse of marijuana will not result in any disqualification from the National Basketball Association but a further suspension will be prearranged. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Amphetamines are used to delay the point of fatigue in athlete’s workouts, to which they will be able to withstand more exercise and competition. Amphetamines do not create extra physical and mental energy. They are significant for distorting the player’s perception of reality and impairing judgment, which may cause an athlete to participate while injured, possibly leading to worse injuries and putting others at risk. Various tests that have been conducted on professional basketball players suggest that amphetamine use can enhance skills which play a key roll in athletic performance. The skillsShow MoreRelatedAnabolic Steroids : A Fatal Attraction1734 Words   |  7 PagesSports The market for top performing athletes in sports in the 21st century is a competitive one. Athletes are pushed to, be stronger, an heal from injuries faster. With the pressure to do well and get picked up by a professional team of sorts goes without saying that hard work is a must to elevate ones professional athletic career, but what if one has reached a plateau or hit a wall in a training regimen and just can not seem to push through? 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