Domhnall MacAuley

About the author: Domhnall MacAuley is editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the author of Sports Medicine: Practical Guidelines for General Practice.

Many athletes, under great pressure to win by any means, seek a competitive advantage through drugs. The taking of drugs endangers the health of athletes and the principles of fair competition. Detecting such drug use has become increasingly difficult as new drugs and methods of cheating on drug tests have been developed. Countries and sports organizations should redouble their efforts to standardize drug testing procedures and make them more effective.

The use of drugs to enhance performance in sport will not go away. Athletes seek every competitive advantage and the rewards of success at top level are great, both financially and in personal glory. Almost all top...