Its nice to see such a refreshing and honest article on drug use in sport. Of course if you pick footballers as your role model you will get a role model who is good at football. But being good at Football does not make you some kind of angel. And clearly drugs didn't stand in the way of Ben Cousins rising to the very top of his sport.
Of course kids don't listen to the "just say no" message. It is based on lies and exaggerations. 60% of Australians have used illegal drugs. Only a tiny portion of them come unstuck because of it. For the rest it is an extremely enjoyable leisure activity probably no more or less dangerous than swimming at the beach. It is time we realigned our attitude toward drugs and based it in reality rather than on political propaganda. Sure drugs can pose a health hazard for some people. But so do many things. Their are far greater risks and dangers out there than drugs.