Should steroids be legalized and put in the hands of physicians/doctors?
OK, this is NOT a debate on whether steroids are bad for you or good for you.
I created this debate based on Arnold's statement about steroids in his day:
"In those days you didn't have to deal with the black market. You could go to your physician and just say, 'Listen, I want to gain some weight, and I want to take something.' Then the physician would say, 'Do it six weeks before competition, then it will be safe.' And that's what you would do. The dosage that was taken then versus taken now is not even 10 percent. It's probably 5 percent."
Doctors have advocated many a times that by making these drugs illegal, the government has effectively taken them off their hands and handed them over to the black market. So, whereas in the past you could consult a professional and be monitored if things went wrong, nowadays every teenager can get their hands on stuff that no one monitors or regulates and use them in doses that could kill them, all without any supervision.
Also, by "legalize" I don't mean "put it on the supermarket shelves" for everybody to buy. Instead, I am talking about giving it to doctors and physicians, and allowing them to prescribe it under supervision. The steroids in question, are those used for muscle growth (bodybuilding).
So, what do you think? Please provide arguments :o)
Yes, legalize them!
Side Score: 8
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No, keep them illegal!
Side Score: 0
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This is a good question, and I think the principles of this can easily be extended to other substances. There is always going to be a black market where illegal or prescription drugs are sold, but by making steroids illegal, the government has removed the safe, controlled way of obtaining steroids and leaving only the black market. It may be too late to go back to the ways that steroids were used or sold back during the time period the quote was referring to, because now that there is an obviously established black market where anyone can buy steroids, having to go through the trouble to get a smaller, probably more expensive, doctor-prescribed dose of steroids won't be worth the time of whoever wants the drugs. It's not so much as that steroids should return to being legal, because it may never be as controlled as it once was. The problem may have been avoided altogether by the government not removing the better option for getting steroids. Steroids are bad for your health (just like cigarettes, other tobacco, and alcohol), and the correct way for someone to make the decision whether or not to use steroids is to be fully informed about the long-lasting effects and dangers before use. Side: Yes, legalize them!
I think steroids should be legal, but only under supervision on a practicing doctor and only for people who need them. If you're asking if we should legalize steroids for all people for any purpose, then no. I don't think we should have them that readily available for athletes, but I think there are people who need them to live. Side: Yes, legalize them!
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