Meldonium and sports stars - why do they do it?

It seems a product called Meldonium has been used by some very well known sports stars and consequently they have now either failed drug tests or are having to own up to having consumed it one way or another. I don't know what it is and don't need to know, but it makes me wonder why sports stars need to risk everything for what appears to be an illegal substance for those involved. What happened to the results of hard work, hard training. I wonder do the few create a bad name for the majority?

I have never taken drugs that weren't prescribed by the NHS (and the effects of some of those are of concern) and wouldn't know what to do with them if I was handed them on a plate. Chew them, swallow them in a drink, sniff them up your nose as seems normal, inject them....why?

The kids of today have a better life than ever before yet they abuse it (well some of them anyway) so what is the matter with them, what have we created?

Any opinions POE members, have you ever tried drugs, what happened to you?

The truth is Ron  --they dont think they will ever get caught--at one time a sportsperson was someone to look  up to --not any more.

While on the subject of drugs --only yesterday i heard of a person dying from an overdose -someone i knew "not very well"and people feeling sorry for him--the only ones i am sorry for are the poor folk he has burgled in the past.

Money and the weird desire for celebrity status. That's the reason that sport has turned into what it is now. Cheating is openly encouraged on the football field, and winning at all costs in many professional sports induces some to  take performance enhancing drugs, simply because they feel they can get away with it. If it all goes wrong and they are found out, the chances are, their inflated bank balances will be compensation enough. 

I've given up watching the grunters and those rolling around pretending to be hurt like spoiled brats. Don't miss it at all. 

I did  smoke a joint in the 60s once. Loved it and decided to never do it again. As for sticking things up my nose, rubbing my gums with powder and sticking needles in my body, well it's not something that has ever held any appeal. Now real ale is a different matter. 

Going back  into my darkened room again.  

I smoked a Bacon joint once Rod!

Thanks for your response Rod, which pretty well sums it up as does James'. The amount of money these so-called sportsmen/women get paid is obscene and of course we all pay for it in the long run.

A bar in the darkroom! What a great idea. Sadly, my darkroom is no more, just a darkened room sans hand pumps.

Sports and drugs will remain bosom buddies for many years to come. The shame is that many sportsmen and women never take drugs but get lumped in with those who do.

We need to remove the cheating culture that has ruined Premier League football before it overruns everything else. Customers pay too much to see spoiled brats kicking a bag of wind about, and who really wants to see overpaid tennis starlets squealing every time a balls hits their racquets?  

A vote with feet would go a long way to solve some of these problems.