NCJ Number
210552
Date Published
September 2000
Length
116 pages
Annotation
This report by the CASA National Commission on Sports and Substance Abuse's Technical Advisory Group (TAG) probes the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Olympic athletes.
Abstract
Since the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, athletes have been ingesting substances believed to enhance athletic performance, currently termed "doping." Not all traditions are positive; the mains goals of this analysis undertaken by the TAG were to enrich the understanding of the biomedical aspects of performance-enhancing drug use in sports, their potential side effects, and the reliability and validity of international drug testing procedures and practices. Research methods included an extensive review of the literature; interviews with sports representatives and experts in the area of doping; reviews of the backgrounds, histories, and regulatory rules and practices of each sports' governing body; and surveys of public and media reports on developments related to doping. Following the introduction and executive summary presented in chapter 1, chapter 2 explores the consequences of doping by athletes, including the consequences for athletes, society, corporate sponsors, and children. Chapter 3 explores the biomedical aspects of doping, presenting facts on the main drugs of abuse by athletes. Chapter 4 examines the extent of the doping problem in Olympic sports. Main findings suggest that the high financial stakes of the Olympics, coupled with athletes' drive to win and an environment that promotes winning at all costs, promotes the illicit use of performance-enhancing drugs by Olympic athletes. Chapter 5 reviews the standards and enforcement policies of the governing bodies in sports, including the International Olympic Committee and the International Federations. Recommendations and next steps are presented in the final chapter and they include the creation of an independent international organization to oversee the methods of measurement and sanctions for doping in Olympic sports. Tables, figures, footnotes, appendixes, references