Steroids free essay sample

A. Attention Getter #1: An anecdote on Taylor Hooton a high school baseball player. One of his coaches said that he needed to bulk up to be a starting pitcher at the varsity level. He started using steroids and gained 30 pounds of muscle. His family took a vacation to England. Before returning Taylor stole a laptop and a video projector from other hotel guests. His parents grounded him for 2 weeks. He then hung himself. B. Attention-Getter #2: A quote from Stephen Catanese regarding the legalization of steroids and just heavily tax them. C. Context #1 defining the topic: The definition of â€Å"steroids,† â€Å"androgenic,† and â€Å"anabolic steroids,† plus a brief discussion (3-4 sentences) of steroid use in the United States. D. Context #2 describing the controversy: Recent penalties on steroid use in the United States and fans objections for and against steroid penalties. Thesis: While many individuals are convinced that steroids are harmless, the facts indicate that the sports associations should give penalties for steroid usage. II. Supporting Reason #1: Effects of steroid use A. Male side effects are development of breasts, baldness, loss of function of testicles, reduced sperm count, shrinkage of testicles, painful erections, and enlarged prostate. B. Female side effects include growth of facial and body hair, deepened voice, breast reduction, enlarged clitoris, and menstrual irregularities. C. Side effects that are common to both male and female consist of increase in aggressive behavior, mood swings, increase in feelings of hostility, decrease in good cholesterol levels, increase in bad cholesterol levels, nausea, jaundice, headaches, severe acne, heart damage, stunted growth, high blood pressure, liver damage, urinary and bowel problems, aching joints, strokes, blood clots, tendon injury, and swelling of the feet. III. Supporting Reason #2: Penalties in the different sports leagues A. MLB- tests at least twice per year, 600 players get tested three times a year. Players are tested for steroids, related hormones, stimulants, masking agents, and diuretics. First positive test results in a 50 game unpaid suspension, second positive results in a 100 game unpaid suspension and third positive test results in a life-time ban. B. NFL- 12,00 tests are conducted during the season including 10 random players from each team every week of the season. Players can also be randomly selected for testing up to 6 times during the off-season. Every player is tested at least once per year. NFL tests for steroids, related hormones, anti-estrogen agents, stimulants, masking agents, B2-adrenergic agonists, diuretics and oxygen-transfer enhancers like EPO. First offense results in a 4-game unpaid suspension, second offense results in an 8 game unpaid suspension, third offense results in a 12 month unpaid suspension. C. NBA/WNBA- Tests every player at random between 0-4 times per year. Every player is eligible, though not all will be tested in a given season. The NBA and WNBA test for steroids, related hormones, stimulants, masking agents, diuretics, cocaine, opiates, PCP, LSD, and marijuana. First offense results in a 10 game unpaid suspension, second offense results in a 25 game unpaid suspension, third offense results in an unpaid suspension for a season, fourth offense results in a minimum 2 year unpaid suspension. D. NHL- Tests every player at random between 0-3 times per year. Most conducted during the off-days. Only occur during the season, not during the playoffs or offseason. All players are eligible. The NHL tests for steroids, related hormones, B2-adrenergic agonists, anti-estrogen agents, diuretics , EPO, and gene doping. First offense results in a 20 game unpaid suspension, second offense results in a 60 game unpaid suspension, third results in a life-time ban. IV. Supporting Reason #3: Child use of steroids A. Dr. Charles Yesalis estimates that â€Å"at least half a million and probably closer to three fourths million children in this country have used steroids in their lifetime. † Adds Yesalis, â€Å"The teens I’ve talked to say [steroids and HGH] are as easy to get as marijuana. † The Mayo Clinic reports that one tenth of the U. S. steroid users are teens which would put that figure at 300,000. John Romano says, â€Å"Because steroids and HGH have been pushed underground, kids are buying them off the internet. The stuff they are getting is the imported junk from Mexico, the rejected vet crap. B. three percent of high school seniors had tried steroids. 39. 7 percent of twelfth graders reported steroids were easy to obtain. four percent of twelfth graders had tried steroids. All the adult effects of steroid use are magnified in teens. V. Counter-argument #1: The benefits of using steroids A. Men who used steroids and exercised for 10 weeks put on 13 pounds of muscle and could bench an extra 48 pounds. B. Steroids can cause an increase in muscle mass, tissue repair, endurance and fat loss. Someone who is using steroids will find that they experience greatly exaggerated benefits from their workouts. VI. Counter-argument #2: Penalties not stopping steroid use A. Many athletes get tested frequently and they still still use steroids just look at Tyson Gay, Jamaican track team, Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and Lance Armstrong. B. Ryan Braun’s chances of reaching the Hall of Fame pretty much went out the window when he was suspended for violating MLB’s drug policy. Braun won Most Valuable Player award in 2011 and took it away from Matt Kemp by using steroids. VII. Rebuttal A. The possession of anabolic steroids is punishable by one year in prison and a minimum fine of $1000. Selling is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. These punishments may be more severe if the violator is not a first-time offender. B. Legalizing steroids would make life easier for the professional sports organizations. A huge part of watching sports is witnessing the very peak of human athletic ability. Steroids would help pitchers to throw harder, homeruns to go further, cyclists to charge for longer and sprinters to test the limits of human speed. Also save the bureaucratic trouble and possible embarrassment that accompanies disputed tests like Ryan Braun’s last December. VIII. Conclusion: An anecdote on Rob Garibaldi, was 5 foot 9 inches and 130 pounds and was a high school baseball player. He had coaches calling to offer scholarships to him but they said Rob was lacking one tool: size, experts told him he needed to get up to 185 pounds by his senior year. By his graduation from high school he grew to 5 foot 11 inches and 165 pounds. That summer he tried his first cycle of steroids. Rob had hallucinations and became paranoid. When he was twenty-four he was sitting in his car and shot and killed himself.