Social Consequences of Doping

THE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF DOPING

Athletes take a huge risk when they use prohibited substances or prohibited methods. A positive test result can have an extremely negative impact on an athlete’s life. Not only is doping dangerous to the health of an athlete, it is also cheating and can affect the athlete’s reputation and lead to the loss of respect and credibility.

Doping is not just merely using a prohibited substance or prohibited method. According to the World Anti-Doping Code, doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV). Currently there are ten ways in which athletes can commit an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. These include the following:

Presence of a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) in an athlete’s sample Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or prohibited method Evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection Whereabouts failures (Any combination of three ‘Filing Failures’ and/or ‘Missed Tests’ in a 12-month period) Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control Possession of prohibited substance or prohibited method Trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method Administration or attempted administration to an athlete of any prohibited substance or prohibited method Complicity Prohibited Association

The athlete’s guide to avoiding prohibited substances and prohibited methods is the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Prohibited List, one of six WADA International Standards. This list is updated on an annual basis and comes into effect on January 1. The list indicates the substances that are prohibited at all times, the substances that are prohibited in competition and out-of- competition and the substances prohibited in particular sport. Some of the social consequences of doping include the following:

1. Loss of sponsorship deals 2. Loss of income 3. Athlete and or teammates may be stripped of previous achievements 4. Damage to future career prospects 5. Isolation from peers and sport 6. Damaged relationships with friends and family 7. Effects on emotional and psychological well-being 8. Permanent damage to reputation from bad media publicity which can lead to public contempt 9. Loss of standing, respect and credibility and lastly 10. Pressure placed on athlete as well as persons close to athlete e.g. family members and support personnel

An athlete runs a very high risk when they commit an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. Being branded as a cheater can have a lasting negative impact on their career. Therefore, to avoid being faced with the social consequences of doping athletes can take the following steps:

1. 2. 3. Be aware of your rights and responsibilities as athletes Always have a copy of the Prohibited List Advise your doctor or pharmacist that you are a professional athlete and you cannot take prohibited substances

Most importantly, always be aware of what you consume and remember the Strict Liability Principle, which states that athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance found in their sample, whether or not they intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance.

Visit the JADCO website at www.jadco.gov.jm for additional information on the health and social consequences of doping.