From workplace to school, from professional sports to the armed forces, the advent of drug-testing procedures has stirred debate and controversy. Theissue of drug testing in athletics seems to be the most prevalent debate. Anincident that really brought drug testing into the spotlight is the track and fieldevent in the 1988 Summer World Olympic Games. The two competitors in thelimelight were Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson, both excellent and very emulatingrunners who have beaten each other in past competitions. This was theopportunity for the whole world to see who the true champion was after the 100meter dash. In a quick ten seconds, Ben Johnson crossed the finish line as achampion, and from then on he was known as the fastest man alive. A weeklater a drug test was administered to Ben Johnson, and he then confessed tobeing a user of an illegal drug, anabolic steroids. Since the use of any kind ofillegal drugs, including steroids, was and still is against Olympic regulations, BenJohnson was stripped of his gold medal, that was then awarded to Carl Lewis(Galas,1997). Due to this incident and many others, drug testing should beenforced because it provides drug using athletes an unfair advantage, caneliminate any potential drug related health problems, and so that children canhave worthy role-models to look up to and admire.Although designed to protect and thereby curtail the use of illegal drugs,the well-intended procedure of testing athletes involves many difficult issues,such as the issue of privacy. Those against drug testing feel that it should bebanned because it violates the Fourth Amendment which defends and protectsthe rights of the American citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. The amendment states that The right of the people to be secure in theirpersons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches andseizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probablecause, supp...
