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Should doping be allowed in sport?
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Doping is allowed in other segments of the entertainment industry

Sport is part of the entertainment business. Other entertainers are allowed to use drugs to enhance their performance, so athletes should be permitted to dope.

Context

A musician is free to take beta-blockers to control stage fright. These drugs function in the exact same way as performance-enhancing drugs in sport. They lower the heart rate and blood pressure and allow for a better, more measured performance. [1]

The Argument

Professional sport is part of the entertainment industry. Millions tune in every weekend to watch sport because it provides entertainment. It should, therefore, be treated in the same way as other entertainment industry sectors. Doping does not detract from the entertainment aspect of the sport. If anything, it enhances it by improving performance, pushing the limits of human ability, and thereby providing a better spectacle. In the same way the musician takes beta-blockers to coax out a better performance or a writer may consume drugs to produce their best work, athletes should be permitted to dope to improve their physical performance.

Counter arguments

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Sports stars are entertainers. [P2] Other entertainers are free to use drugs to enhance performance. [P3] Therefore, athletes should also be free to use drugs to enhance performance.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.amjmed.com/article/0002-9343(82)90592-7/pdf
This page was last edited on Sunday, 14 Jun 2020 at 16:22 UTC

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