Rethinking Drug Use in Sport

Drug free sport is an unattainable aspiration. In this critical, paradigm-shifting reappraisal of contemporary drug policy in sport, Bob Stewart and Aaron Smith argue that drug use in sport is an inexorable consequence of the nature, structure and culture of sport itself, and offer a powerful argument for creating a legitimate space for drug use in sport. This book offers a broad ranging overview of the social and commercial pressures impelling drug use, and maps the full historical and social extent of the problem. While there are no simple solutions, as long as drugs use is endemic in wider society the authors argue that a more nuanced and progressive approach is required in order to safeguard and protect the health, social liberty and best interests of athletes and sports people, as well as the value of sport itself.