ABSTRACT
Despite evidence suggesting reasons for doubt, the popular consensus still holds that doping seriously harms athletes’ health, contradicts sport’s fundamental values, and constitutes what some consider an intolerable immoral action. These beliefs, it seems, are driving a trend towards harsher punishments. For example, the sport of cycling, which has a long history of doping violations, sanctions first-time doping offenders with automatic disqualification from the competition, a two-year suspension, and a fine equal to the rider’s current yearly salary (UCI 2009a). Additionally, many professional teams now levy their own fines for doping, fines sometimes upwards of five times an athlete’s annual salary (Agence France Presse 2009). Others now believe that only extreme measures can save the sport, calling for measures such as immediate lifetime bans (Associated Press 2008) following an athlete’s first doping offense or increasing criminal punishments for doping offenses (Reuters 2007).
