Mark Cuban indulged in a delightful fantasy this week, saying that he'd favor allowing steroid use by athletes if they took the drugs safely while under a doctor's supervision and if the hormonal enhancements could be perfected so they don't cause long-term health damage.
It was as pragmatic as saying: "I want every child in America to get a free college education, as long as it will be put to good use and doesn't cost anybody else a dime."
It's possible that certain steroids and growth hormone could be used in safe, short-term dosages to help speed recovery from injuries. But how can we hope to monitor the amounts athletes use? Institute testing that assesses levels of usage? That's not feasible. It's been hard enough for scientists to devise tests that reliably detect the presence of a performance-enhancing drug.
And what about amateurs? If there's no testing at the highest levels of a sport, what will stop aspiring millionaires/pro athletes from using? Oh wait, they all have comprehensive health insurance, so there's no problem.
As for the long-term health consequences, how do we assess that? Do we rely on the anecdotal evidence available so far, spotty as it is? Barry Bonds' skull grew. Jose Canseco, whose first book argued that steroids can be used safely, turned up in a documentary last year, complaining about a low sex drive and terrible depression, attributing them to his body's inability to produce testosterone naturally after years of artificial enhancement. The late Ken Caminiti told Sports Illustrated that he had the same problem.
Or do we rely on lab research, even though reputable scientists refuse to dose subjects at anywhere near the levels of hormones that athletes like to use? Would Cuban tell them to get over their ethical squeamishness and proceed like the colonials who tested for witchcraft by dunking tied-up people in rivers?
Oh, look we were wrong -- she didn't float so she's not a witch, and the drugs aren't harmless. Too bad someone had to die to make the point.
E-mail Gwen Knapp at gknapp(at)sfchronicle.com.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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