Steve Olivier

About the author: Steve Olivier teaches at Staffordshire University in Great Britain.

Athletes should be prohibited from taking performance-enhancing substances such as stimulants and steroids because these drugs can harm those who use them. Although some would argue that a person has a right to choose whether to risk harm to one's own body, the use of drugs in sports can place athletes in a situation in which they feel coerced into taking drugs in order to compete. In addition, society has an interest in preventing the violence associated with the use of steroids and other drugs.

The use of drugs by athletes is not a new phenomenon, but in the last decade or so the issue has received much public attention. This has resulted in a renewed focus on the question of whether...