Should the usage of performance enhancing drugs in sports be allowed? Any advantages in doing this?

It's a debate topic.

Absolutely!!! But not in the NFL, NBA, ABL or any of the other major professional sporting associations. The pharmaceutical companies should form their own leagues, the "Enhanced Olympics" if you will. In these leagues the players would be allowed to use whatever bodily enhancement techniques were available, including artificial/cyborg/bionic limbs as well as performance enhancing drugs. The spectators/fans would all know up front what drugs the competitors were using and all competitiors would be required to have six weeks of education per season on the latest scientific studies showing the effects of long term use of whatever drugs they were using. That way the competitors could make educated choices. Also, these leagues would only be open to competitors 21 and over because only adults are capable of making such long term decisions about their health. So gymnatics, women's tennis, ice-skating and other sports which seem to favor the adolescent and pre-adolescent body might not be viable. Though with the right drugs or artificial limbs some of the "aging" athletes might be able to compete again in these sports.

I would also like to see alternative leagues for animal related sports like Equestrianism, horse racing, dog competitions and the like in which cloning and genetic manipulation were allowed.

Yes. It's being used anyway. Let athletes do was they will anyway, and set the standards that way.

no--these drugs have very bad long-term side effects.

NO! These drugs can cause life long health problems and even death. The use of these drugs are like taking a short cut and are dishonest. It is cheating. There should be no short cut, but hard work and dedication to the sport to reap the rewards of being fit and excelling in a sport. Barring the use of performance enhancing drugs levels the competition and makes it fair for those who've played by the rules and put in the hours.

There are definate advantages to performance enhancing drugs.
They increase stamina, energy, and strength, build muscle, reduce or keep fat down. DHEA, Testosterone, and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) also show promise as anti-aging drugs since all of these decrease with age, resulting in more fat and less lean body weight.

But the question is really one of ethics. What's the fun of competing to win, if you've cheated and made yourself the strongest and fastest athlete artifically (i.e., not your normal performance)?

Whatever happened to 'It's doesn't matter if you win or lose, but HOW you play the game that counts?'

Many professional athletes get MILLIONS of dollars a year in salary. If they are getting it because they cheated to enhance their performance, isn't that a bit like stealing? Does anyone care if it is?

There are problems with being honest in today's world.
"Everybody's doing it, so I have to do it to be able to compete," is probably felt my many athletes. But that isn't the answer.

The solution is two fold:

1) Athletes need to practice and exercise and use their own natural talents - building them up so they are worthy competitors. That's the point of practice.

2) Those that abuse performance enhancing drugs should be disqualified - PERIOD. Because cheating is cheating is cheating and stealing is stealing is stealing.