Drug Testing News

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), the International Swimming Federation for swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and open water swimming, yesterday became the first major international sports federation to approve the incorporation into its own rules the enhanced version of the World Anti-Doping Agency drug testing policy. The improved drug testing policy was approved by a unanimous vote of the delegates present at the FINA Extraordinary Congress. The new rules will come into effect on January 1, 2009.

FINA conducts about 2,000 drug tests annually.

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The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), John Fahey, has promised more sophisticated drug testing in response to a survey that showed 30 per cent of Australia’s top athletes believed they could get away with using performance-enhancing drugs.

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The Register Mail has published a useful summary of the Illinois High School Association Drug Testing Program.

Start: 2008-09 school year.

Cost: $100,000-$150,000.

Funding source: Illinois High School Association.

Number of students tested: Between 700 and 1,000 tests during the 2008-09 school year.

Sports tested: All.

Other states that drug test athletes: New Jersey, Florida and Texas.

Banned substances: Drugs classified as stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics and peptide hormones and analogues. Some of the 78 substances listed include ecstasy, cocaine, steroids, amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, testosterone and human growth hormone.

Penalties for violation: Athletes will face year suspension with a possible reduction to 90 days from the time of the positive test if they take an educational program and then submit a negative follow-up test. Team penalties will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

When will the IHSA test: Athletes tested during state tournament competition, directly following a contest.

What if my child has an illness that requires them to take a banned substance: The IHSA’s medical review officer, who has not been hired yet, will judge whether the student-athlete’s illness is valid. The athlete will not be suspended from play until the review is finished.

How much caffeine would result in positive test: About four caffeine pills or nine cups of coffee almost immediately before the test.

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The Illinois High School Association has announced an innovative flexible team-penalty policy as part of its drug testing program that is due to start next academic year.

The details have been published here in the Chicago Tribune.

Illinois is the first state to impose team penalties for an individual’s positive performance-enhancing drug test.

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The Journal Gazette has published an article making the case for steriod testing in Indiana’s schools.

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Sepp Blatter, the president of soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, has agreed to adopt the World Anti-Doping Agency’s revised drug testing code before the end of the May, subject to resolution some remaining issues regarding ‘whereabouts’ rules, in which athletes have to inform anti-doping authorities of their location for potential testing.

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The Journal of Queen’s University has published an article “Are student-athletes using drugs?” that provides Canadian Interuniversity Sport statistics on student athlete drug use.

250 to 300 Student athletes tested for drugs each academic year by CCES

5,200 Athletes tested for drugs since 1990

47 Positive violations—for everything from marijuana to anabolic steroids—found in drug tests since 1990

36 Football players who have tested positive for drugs since 1990

4 Hockey players who have tested positive for drugs since 1990

4 Basketball players who have tested positive for drugs since 1990

1 Field hockey players who have tested positive for drugs since 1990

1 Soccer players who have tested positive for drugs since 1990

1 Volleyball players who have tested positive for drugs since 1990

3 Violations found during drug testing this year

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Niels de Vos, the chief executive of UK Athletics, is proposing that the use of drugs in track and field athletics should become a criminal offence in the UK. He has cited the Tour de France as an example of a sport where sports cheats were subjected to police investigation.

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The Irish Turf Club, which is the governing authority for racing in Ireland, has published drug testing statistics for 2007.

62 Riders were drug tested and all samples were negative. In total 337 riders have been tested since testing was introduced in 2003 and there has been only one positive test.

Alcohol breath testing of riders was introduced in June 2007 and 515 riders were tested at 10 meetings during the remainder of 2007. There was one positive test.

2,845 horses were dope tested and there were 6 positive samples.

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The Amgen Tour, USA Cycling, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) are mounting a coordinated effort to get tougher on drug testing. It is claimed that the 2008 Amgen Tour of California will have the most comprehensive anti-doping protocol in competitive cycling worldwide.

Blood samples will be taken from every competitor on the day before the race starts and tested for steroids, hormones, masking agents, and EPO. Urine samples will be taken pre-race from 30 percent of the competitors. Post-stage drug tests will be conducted on stage winners, the race leader, and three random tiders. Random or targetted full screenings will also be conducted daily on three additional riders during evenings and mornings.

All participating teams must guarantee that their riders, trainers, support staff, and doctors are not involved in any doping investigation.

The plan drew praise from team owners, USA Cycling and riders alike.

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The new president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), John Fahey, has given his first major interview since starting his new job.

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The Illinois Racing Board has unanimously voted to adopt the anabolic steroid model rule formulated by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and approved by Racing Commissioners International.

The anabolic steroid rule, which will apply to both thoroughbreds and harness horses, will take effect May 1, 2008, with testing scheduled to begin until September 1, 2008 enabling tracks to notify horsemen and the board to secure funding for the tests to be conducted by the University of Illinois-Chicago’s forensic toxic laboratory.

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John Fahey, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency and Travis T. Tygart, the executive director of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, have both criticized the response of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, the executive director of the players union, to the recommendations contained in the report by Senator George J. Mitchell.

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The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will start random drug testing for banned drugs next year, although there will be no testing for recreational drugs or alcohol. The exact details of the drug testing program have not been published, although it is certain that students will be banned if they test positive.

Eliminating cheating is only one objective, with protecting students from the longer term effects of abusing sports-related drugs.

As with general schools drug testing, a key benefit of the program is providing students with an excuse to refuse drugs.

The plan has been generally welcomed.

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Major League Baseball taken its first steps toward implementing the recommendations of former Senator George Mitchell regarding drug abuse in the sport by eliminating a 24-hour notice of drug testing and imposed background checks on clubhouse personnel, subjecting clubhouse personnel to random drug tests, logging all packages sent to major league clubhouses, and banning personal trainers from locker rooms.

The Mitchell report identified over 80 players, including Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Miguel Tejada as using steroids, human growth hormone, or other drugs.

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Dermot Gilleece has written a good article in the Irish Independent on “Why drug tests must become par for the course“.

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The US Congress is looking into its options to force Major League Baseball into having an independent drug testing program.

Congress is prepared to impose harsh measures against Major League Baseball and its players’ union unless the two sides agree to an independent drug-testing program and most of the other recommendations in the Mitchell Report, a congressman said.

The threat stems from a powerful source: antitrust exemption that protects baseball from outside competition, and an exemption Congress could rescind with enough votes. The special status given baseball by the government could empower Congress to unilaterally pass a drug-testing program.

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A summary of the drug testing policies in various sports illustrates how varied the drug testing policies are.

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The long-awaited Michell report has been published - and there is already a good Wikipedia entry if you want a summary. There is also a entry for players listed in the report.

As might be expected, there’s been a lot of commentary, for example:

The LA Times editorial take on the story is Unless you like cheaters setting examples, demand drug testing and enforcement to clean up baseball.

FindLaw asks an important question for anyone conducting drug testing: Was Former Senator Mitchell Justified in Naming Names in His Report on Major League Baseball? It is standard practice to keep the results of workplace drug testing completely confidential.

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The PGA has announced that its drug testing polcy has been approved by its policy board and that the drug testing will start in July 2008. In preparation for phyical testing, a program of player education and outreach will begin next month. The list of substances that will be targeted includes anabolic agents, hormones, diuretics, stimulants, narcotics, and beta blockers. Players can be tested at any time or place.

The penalties for positive tests for performance enhancing drugs include a one-year suspension for a first violation and a lifetime ban for multiple offences, plus fines up to $500,000. Players that are detected with drugs of abuse such as marijuana or cocaine may be required to receive treatment and rehabilitation.

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