There are multiple ethical dilemmas associated with using "enhancements" for reasons other than therapy. Our society feels that some enhancements are perfectly acceptable in day-to-day life, while others are not. The real concern about the ethics of enhancement is where the line should be drawn. There are multiple pros and cons associated with each form of enhancement and society is required to weigh both the good and the bad side of each to decide what is acceptable. If a form of enhancement can possibly do something to improve the quality of life of a person then it should be done, but it should not be used in an athletic setting, nor should it be used in its current state as genetic enhancements for those wealthy enough to afford it unless it is something that insurance will cover and the possible consequences are continually studied.
There are common forms of enhancement that many people see or use on a day-to-day basis. For example, millions of people use a common form of mental enhancement: drinking coffee, which is essentially a drug delivery system for caffeine. Smoking cigarettes is similar in this regard; it delivers nicotine to the central nervous system. For cosmetic procedures, the use of botulinum toxin type A for facial enhancement is the most common cosmetic procedure in the United States (Kiuru & Crystal, 2008, p. 330). Some other widely accepted procedures include the use of drugs and hair follicle transplantation for hair loss and surgical procedures to reverse the appearance of aging or unwanted body fat. Today, society seems to accept these forms of augmentation without question.
Despite the acceptance of common physical and mental enhancements, our culture draws the line at some improvements. This line is typically drawn either because the cons of the augmentation outweigh the pros or the enhancement itself is not acceptable. One example of this is the use of erythropoietin.
