Drugs - Implications and Arguments

Question 1

What are the positive implications of drug taking?

Answer 1

Bring fame and fortune for those who manage to evade detection.

More chance of winning

Increased performance

More exciting to watch

Question 2

What are the negative implications of drug taking?

Answer 2

Guilt
It’s cheating 
Others forced to take drugs 
Scandal in the sport - may decrease interest in it 
False accusations 
Breaking code of ethics 
Threatens the spirit and integrity of sport
Decrease in health 
Poor role models 
Banned - limit or life 
Stripped of medals 
May lose their good reputation
Loss of income and sponsorship deals

Question 3

What are the arguments for drugs?

Answer 3

Battle is expensive and time consuming.

Easy to access, difficult to eliminate.

Money could be spent on other things such as initiatives, campaigns, investment and education.

Detection isn’t always effective.

Difficult to define what a drug is.

Drugs can be taken accidentally (over the counter prescriptions).

A personal choice (take risks and don’t ask to be role models).

If everyone takes them, then the playing field is level.

Increase performance so more exciting.

If monitored, decreased risks.

Question 4

What are the arguments against drugs?

Answer 4

Dangerous to health 
Negative role models 
Negative image for sport 
Unfair advantage 
It’s cheating 
It’s still illegal

No longer about hard work and skill

Immoral and unethical - goes against fair play ethic

Only rich countries can afford it

Negative consequences - loss of sponsorship, medals and funding

Pressure to take drugs increases from coaches and peers who take drugs

Question 5

What are the way of eliminating performance enhancing drugs in sport?

Answer 5

UKAD
WADA
NGBs

Question 7

What is UK Anti-Doping?

Answer 7

UKAD is the organisation responsible for protecting UK sport from the threat of drug taking and doping.

Funded by the government

Question 8

What does UKAD do?

Answer 8

Administers the testing programmes for over 40 sports.

Has a number of anti-doping strategies designed to try to eliminate the use of illegal performance enhancers in sport.

Work with WADA and NGBs.

Finance and invest in drug detection technology, science and medicine

Question 9

How does UKAD work with athletes and their support staff?

Answer 9

To increase knowledge
Increase understanding of the dangers
Increase understanding of the moral issues

Question 10

How do UKAD promote drug free sport?

Answer 10

Clean sport week

100% me - drug free, talent and training, role models

Question 11

What is WADA?

Answer 11

World anti-doping agency

A collective initiative led by the IOC to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sport.

Question 12

How do the organisations work together?

Answer 12

To develop and enforce stricter rules and testing programmes

• Random testing - inside/outside of competition
• biological passports
• whereabouts system

Question 13

What are biological passports?

Answer 13

An electronic record of biological markers

• exogenous = outside of the body
• endogenous = inside of the body

Question 14

What do biological passports use?

Answer 14

Uses data from your blood and urine samples.

Creates a baseline for certain hormones and naturally occurring aid (EPO, HGH).

Question 15

Why are biological passports used?

Answer 15

Ensures consistency between drug tests and natural levels of certain substances.

Question 16

What are whereabouts system?

Answer 16

Helps to support random out of competition testing.

Athletes must supply their location/whereabouts in advances so they can be located at any time for testing - without warning

Question 17

What punishments should be used?

Answer 17

Should be harsh so they act as a deterrent to others

• long/lifetime bans
• return career earnings
• return money from sponsors - clauses in contracts state this.

Should be standardised and consistent - gives clear athletes confidence.

Question 18

How are role models used?

Answer 18

Clean athletes should be promoted and given high status

• media focus
• interaction with young athletes

Drugs cheats should be ‘named and shamed’
- to dissuade young athletes

Question 19

What does DOPING stand for?

Answer 19

Drug free culture 
Organisations working together 
Punishments need to be harsh 
Investment is required into new testing 
Name and shame negative role models 
Guilty lose winnings, funding and sponsorship

Question 20

What are the difficulties with eradicating drug use?

Answer 20

Difficult to gain immediate access to athletes.

Drug users/providers are one step ahead.

Accidental drug taking

Lack of clear, unified and standardised approach globally

Difficulty in accurate testing

Illegal support from NGBs, teams, countries, coaches

Difficulty in issuing an appropriate ban

Legal challenges

Question 21

What does UKAD promote?

Answer 21

Anti-doping strategy/structured programme that promotes ‘ethically fair and drug free’.