The International Olympic Committee has introduced stricter rules concerning use of banned substances for the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London, England, Great Britain but the problem lies in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. I personally think that many athletes in Beijing China are going to think two times before using a banned substance taking into account that China has stricter laws concerning the use of illicit drugs and banned substances than most countries in the West. While the West has a tolerant attitude toward use of drugs including banned substances [even though the Sports Associations are beginning to clamp down in response to demands from the public and after the damage that steroids did to members of the now defunct Olympic Team from the German Democratic Republic], China has a zero tolerance for drug abuse, use of illicit drugs, and use of banned substances. After what I saw in China, I doubt that an athlete would be so foolish as to even use banned substances in a society that frowns on it.

I applaud the decision of the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in its decision to permanently prohibit athletes who use banned substances from representing their countries. It is hoped that other countries will follow suit especially those in the Western World.