Ban Them For Life

That's all I have to say about professional athletes using drugs, whether for recreational or for performing-enhancement purposes.  Ban them for life.  And I'm talking about first offenders.  No excuses.  No exceptions.  Here's why.

Sports are not and should not be the highest priority in society.  To the extent that they are a priority at all, it should be first and foremost centered around personal physical fitness.  But that doesn't change the fact that sports have value as entertainment.  And I'm not complaining about that, either--I'm a consumer of sports as entertainment.  There's nothing wrong with treating them that way, provided that the entertainment value, based upon competition, isn't a fraud. And fraud exists anytime one player, or several players, attempt to tilt the playing field in their favor, whether by way of chemicals or other means.

That, of course, does not even begin to get into the issue of what most if not all of these drugs do in the long run to the athletes who use them.  Athletes have careers with very short-shelf lives, and drugs (even of the performing-enhancement variety) can have a way of shortening that shelf life further, regardless of what the short-term effects may be.  And then there's the question of the life they have left to them after their careers are over--that is, if they have not already destroyed themselves before then.  Athletes are people who, like the rest of us, are answerable to their families and friends, if not their fans.  I'm not going to get into the "role-model" argument here; I think it's a bit overrated, in that I don't know how much children really model their behavior after professional athletes (beyond buying jerseys with their names).  But, if you want to make that argument, feel free.  If it has some validity in reality, why overlook it?

But why a lifetime ban for first offenders?  Because they're adults.  They are old enough to understand why their conduct is wrong.  They wouldn't hide it if they thought it was acceptable.  And there's a simple solution, namely, the Nancy Reagan one.  They're certainly rewarded enough otherwise that asking them to refrain from doing things that destroy their integrity and that of the the sports they play seems like a modest "sacrifice."

We've tried half-measures.  We've tried short-term suspensions.  We've tried education.  We've tried public shaming.  It's time to go nuclear, for the simple reason that we've tried everything else.  One time, and you're done.  Along with your records.  And any championships you've helped your team to win.  I guarantee you that last provision will get everyone to take the problem seriously.  And yes, it's necessary.  Drugs are a problem for everyone in sports; everyone in sports is going to have to start taking responsibility for it.

And I don't mean tomorrow.  I mean RIGHT NOW.