The great AAS / PED's Debate

[musclenz]

Where there is human competition, money, power & fame, how the hell are you going to control this. You can debate the morality of it all but IT WILL GO ON as it always has.

776 BC - 393 BCAncient Greeks Use Performance Enhancing Drugs

Depiction of athletes competing at the ancient Olympic Games. Source: http://www.britishcouncil.org (accessed June 30, 2009)

"The use of drugs to enhance performance in sports has certainly occurred since the time of the original Olympic Games [from 776 to 393 BC]. The origin of the word 'doping' is attributed to the Dutch word 'doop,' which is a viscous opium juice, the drug of choice of the ancient Greeks."

Larry D. Bowers, PhD "Athletic Drug Testing," Clinics in Sports Medicine, Apr. 1, 1998

"The ancient Olympic champions were professionals who competed for huge cash prizes as well as olive wreaths... Most forms of what we would call cheating were perfectly acceptable to them, save for game-fixing. There is evidence that they gorged themselves on meat -- not a normal dietary staple of the Greeks -- and experimented with herbal medications in an effort to enhance their performances...

The ancient Greek athletes also drank wine potions, used hallucinogens and ate animal hearts or testicles in search of potency."

Sally Jenkins "Winning, Cheating Have Ancient Roots," Washington Post, Aug. 3, 2007

100 AD

Roman Gladiators Use Stimulants and Hallucinogens to Prevent Fatigue and Injury

Gladiator competitions and chariot races are popular in Ancient Roman culture and the Coliseum is expanded to hold 60,000 spectators in 100AD. Chariot racers feed their horses substances such as hydromel (an alcoholic beverage made from honey) to make them run faster and gladiators ingest hallucinogens and stimulants such as strychnine to stave off fatigue and injury and to improve the intensity of their fights.

Ramlan Abdul Aziz, MD "History of Doping," Presented at the WADA Asia Education Symposium, Aug. 29, 2006

Late 19th Century

French Cyclists and Lacrosse Players Drink Wine and Coca Leaves to Fight Fatigue and Hunger

(Cycling, Lacrosse)

"The modern applications [of drug use in sports] began in the late nineteenth century, with preparations made from the coca leaf -- the source of cocaine and related alkaloids. Vin Mariani, a widely used mixture of coca leaf extract and wine, was even called 'the wine for athletes.' It was used by French cyclists and... by a champion lacrosse team. Coca and cocaine were popular because they staved off the sense of fatigue and hunger brought on by prolonged exertion."

Thomas H. Murray, PhD "The Coercive Power of Drugs in Sports," The Hastings Center Report, Aug. 1983

1904-1920

Performance Enhancing Drugs Used in the Modern Olympic Games

(Olympics)

"In 1904 Olympics marathon runner, Thomas Hicks, was using a mixture of brandy and strychnine [a stimulant that is fatal in high doses] and nearly died. Mixtures of strychnine, heroin, cocaine, and caffeine were used widely by athletes and each coach or team developed its own unique secret formulae. This was common practice until heroin and cocaine became available only by prescription in the 1920s."

Mark S. Gold, MD Performance-Enhancing Medications and Drugs of Abuse, 1992

1928

First Rule Against Doping in Sports

(Track and Field)

The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), the governing body for the sport of track and field, become the first international sporting federation to prohibit doping by athletes.

International Association of Athletics Federation, "Drugs in Sport/Doping Control," IAAF Medical Manual, http://www.iaaf.org (accessed May 13, 2009)

Soldiers Use Amphetamines During WWII

Adolf Hitler salutes the athletes at the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk (accessed June 22, 2009)

"According to anecdotal accounts, the Nazis test anabolic steroids on prisoners, Gestapos and Hitler himself [between 1940 and 1945]. Testosterone and its analogs are used by German soldiers to promote aggressiveness and physical strength. Retrospectively, according to his physician, Hitler's mental state toward the end of his life exhibits characteristics that some scientists associate with heavy steroid use: mania, acute paranoid psychoses, overly aggressive and violent behavior, depression and suicidal ideologies."

Sports Illustrated "How We Got Here: A Timeline of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports," sportsillustrated.cnn.com, Mar. 11, 2008

The American, British, German, and Japanese armed forces distribute amphetamines to their soldiers to counteract fatigue, elevate mood, and heighten endurance. The amphetamines are used as a substitute for cocaine because they can be taken orally in tablet form, and the effect lasts much longer.

Edward M. Brecher The Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs, 1972

1950s

Athletes Begin Taking Amphetamines Used by Soldiers in WWII

(Cycling)

"The first 'effective' performance enhancing drugs, the amphetamines, which were used widely by soldiers in the Second World War, crossed over into sports in the early 1950s. These drugs -- nicknamed la bomba by Italian cyclists and atoom by Dutch cyclists -- minimize the uncomfortable sensations of fatigue during exercise."

Timothy Noakes, MD, DSc "Tainted Glory - Doping and Athletic Performance," New England Journal of Medicine, Aug. 26, 2004

1958

FDA Approves First Anabolic Steroid for Sale in US (Bastards have changed their mind now ) The "Godfather of Steroids," Dr. John Bosley Zieglar, creates an anabolic steroid called Dianabol that is released by Ciba Pharmaceuticals with FDA approval. Dr. Zieglar noted the success of the Russian weightlifting team due to the use of testosterone in 1954 and began experimenting on US weightlifters. His creation synthesizes the strength-building properties of testosterone while minimizing the negative health effects.

Close to his death in 1983, Dr. Zieglar speaks out against his invention and says he wishes he had never created the anabolic steroid after seeing athletes abuse the drug.

Justin Peters "The Man Behind the Juice," Slate.com, Feb. 18, 2005

1960-1990

Date/Event/Sport Description

Aug. 26, 1960

First Athlete to Die in Olympic Competition Due to Doping

(Olympics, Cycling)

Danish cyclist, Knut Jensen, dies on Aug. 26, 1960 at the Summer Olympics in Rome during the 100km team time trial race. His collapse, which fractured his skull, is initially thought to be caused by the high temperatures that day. His autopsy, however, reveals traces of an amphetamine called Ronicol. Jensen is the second athlete ever to die during Olympic competition (the first was a marathon runner in 1912 who died from heat exhaustion).

NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) "Cycling: Inside This Sport: History," http://www.nbcolympics.com (accessed May 13, 2009)

July 13, 1967

Cyclist on Amphetamines Becomes First Death Due to Doping in the Tour de France

(Cycling)

Tommy Simpson. Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk (accessed June 22, 2009)

British cyclist Tommy Simpson, named Sports Personality of the Year by the BBC in 1965, dies during the 13th stage of the Tour de France on July 13, 1967. The cyclist, whose motto was allegedly "if it takes ten to kill you, take nine and win," consumes excess amounts of amphetamines and brandy to combat the effects of an illness and he continues to ride until his body shuts down.

Simpson's death creates pressure for sporting agencies to take action against doping.

Matt Slater "Gene Doping - Sport's Next Big Challenge," bbc.co.uk, June 12, 2008

1967

International Olympic Commitee (IOC) Establishes Medical Commission to Fight Doping

(Olympics)

Partly in reaction to Tommy Simpson's death, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) establishes the Medical Commission to fight against doping in sports. The Commission is given three guiding principles: protection of the health of athletes, respect for medical and sport ethics, and equality for all competing athletes.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) "The Medical Commission," http://www.olympic.org (accessed June 3, 2009)

Feb. 1968

First Drug Testing at Olympic Games

(Olympics)

"The IOC instituted its first compulsory doping controls at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France in 1968 and again at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City in the same year. At that time the list of banned substances issued in 1967 included narcotic analgesics and stimulants, which comprised sympathomimetic amines, psychomotor stimulants and miscellaneous central nervous system stimulants [including alcohol]. Although it was suspected that androgenic anabolic steroids were being used at this time, testing methods were insufficiently developed to warrant the inclusion of anabolic steroids in the list of banned substances."

David R. Mottram, PhD Michele Verroken, MA "Doping Control in Sport," Doping in Sports, 2005

[Editor's Note: Out of 86 drug tests performed at the 1968 Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France, zero athletes tested positive. Out of 667 drug tests performed at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, one athlete (.15%) tested positive.

May 4, 1968

1972

First Full-Scale Drug Testing of Olympic Athletes for Narcotics and Stimulants

(Olympics)

"When [drug] testing took place at the Games of 1968 it was of a limited nature... The IOC itself was clear about the limits of its responsibility on doping control...

The first full-scale testing of Olympic athletes occurred at the 1972 Summer Olympic in Munich, Germany... [T]ests were limited to narcotic analgesics and to the three classes of stimulants; however, testing was much more comprehensive with 2079 samples being analyzed. Seven athletes were disqualified..."

David R. Mottram, PhD Michele Verroken, MA "Doping Control in Sport," Doping in Sports, 2005

1975

Anabolic Steroids Added to IOC's Banned Substances List

(Olympics)

Anabolic steroids are added to the IOC's list of banned substances because a test that is considered to be reliable is developed.

David R. Mottram, PhD Michele Verroken, MA "Doping Control in Sport," Doping in Sports, 2005

[Editor's Note: See our chart of 192 Banned Substances listed in the WADA code and adopted by 625 sports organizations worldwide.]

1976

Steroid Testing Conducted for the First Time at the Montreal Olympics

(Olympics)

Athletes are first tested for anabolic steroids during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

USA TODAY "Timeline: A Century of Drugs and the Athlete," http://www.usatoday.com, Mar. 1, 2007

[Editor's Note: Out of 786 drug tests performed at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, 11 athletes (1.4%) tested positive. See our chart of drug tests performed at the Summer and Winter Olympics for the results from all Olympic Games from 1968 to 2008.]

1983

Sep. 27, 1988

Ben Johnson Stripped of Gold Medal after Positive Drug Test

(Olympics, Track and Field)

Ben Johnson on the cover of the Oct. 3, 1988 issue of Sports Illustrated. Source: Sports Illustrated website (accessed June 17, 2009)

Ben Johnson, a Canadian sprinter, is stripped of his gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea after testing positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Johnson claims that his herbal drink was spiked, but officials decline his explanation and suspend him from competition for two years.

Johnson is later banned for life after a second positive test in 1993.

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) "On This Day," news.bbc.co.uk (accessed June 9, 2009)

1991 - 1999

Date/Event/Sport Description

June 7, 1991

Major League Baseball Bans Steroids

(Baseball)

Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent sends a seven page memo to all of the major league teams on June 7, 1991 that states: "The possession, sale or use of any illegal drug or controlled substance by Major League players or personnel is strictly prohibited... This prohibition applies to all illegal drugs and controlled substances, including steroids." In the absence of any testing, enforcement, or publicity of the rule, many players and team management later claim to have been unaware of Vincent's policy (according to interviews conducted by ESPN writer Tom Farrey in 2002).

Vincent later says he sent the memo because of rumors about Jose Canseco and admits, "We could have done a lot more lecturing, lobbying, and educating. But I didn't know anything about steroids."

Tom Farrey "The Memos: A Ban Ignored," ESPN the Magazine, Nov. 2005

Read Fay Vincent's memo banning steroids in baseball (934 KB)

Dec. 2, 1991

Former East German Swimming Coaches Admit to Two Decades of Doping

(Swimming)

"The stunning domination of international swimming by East German women for nearly two decades was built upon an organized system of anabolic-steroid use, a group of 20 former East German coaches confirmed [on Dec. 2, 1991].

Their admission... is the latest evidence -- and some of the most convincing -- that senior sports administrators of the now-dissolved Communist state made performance-enhancing drugs a critical part of the training programs for the country's elite athletes...

[T]hese latest admissions confirmed for years what rival coaches and athletes had always suspected, even though no East German swimmer was ever caught or penalized for drug use. The International Olympic Committee and other major international sports federations do not punish athletes retroactively without an admission by the athlete. As a result the athletes involved are in no danger of losing their medals or records."

Michael Janofsky "Coaches Concede That Steroids Fueled East Germany's Success in Swimming," New York Times, Dec. 3, 1991

May 14, 1992

Former NFL Player Dies of Brain Cancer after Using Steroids and HGH for Two Decades

(Football)

Lyle Alzado on the cover of the July 8, 1991 Sports Illustrated. Source: Sports Illustrated website (accessed June 17, 2009)

"NFL defensive end Lyle Alzado dies of brain cancer on May 14. The 43-year-old two-time All-Pro believed his disease was the result of more than two decades of steroid and HGH use (which, at its peak, cost him as much as $30,000 a year). Scientific research has yet to demonstrate a link between steroids or HGH and brain cancer."

Sports Illustrated "How We Got Here: A Timeline of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports," sportsillustrated.cnn.com, Mar. 11, 2008

Sep.-Oct. 1994

Chinese Swimmers Fail Drug Tests Three Times More Than Any Other Nation

(Swimming) China wins 12 of 16 gold medals at the Sep. 1994 FINA World Championships in Rome, casting suspicion on that nation's swimmers, who suddenly began winning medals in the early 1990s. The Chinese women dominate in swimming at the Oct. 1994 Asian Games, but suspicions of doping are confirmed as eleven Chinese athletes test positive for steroids after the competition and are stripped of 22 medals. The suspension of many Chinese swimmers results in only one gold medal won by the national team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

More than 40 Chinese swimmers fail drug tests between 1990 and 2000, triple the amount of any other nation's swim team in that same time period.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) "10 Drug Scandals," CBC Sports Online, Jan. 19, 2003

Dec. 15, 1994

First British Female to Test Positive for PEDs Receives Four Year Ban

(Track and Field)

Diane Modahl wins the Commonwealth Games 800 meter Bronze in 1988. Source: bbc.co.uk (accessed June 25, 2009)

Commonwealth Games champion runner, Diane Modahl, becomes the first British female athlete to test positive for performance enhancing drugs. She is banned from competition for four years in a ruling by the British Athletic Foundation (BAF) on Dec. 15, 1994. Modahl claims that the Lisbon laboratory stored her urine sample improperly.

One year later, she is cleared of the charges because of the possibility that the sample was not refrigerated. However, she is cleared to return to competition until Mar. 1996. The case gains international attention because of the ruling that her samples were handled incorrectly, and because Modahl launches an unsuccessful five-year campaign for a one million pound compensation from the BAF.

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) "On This Day," news.bbc.co.uk (accessed May 29, 2009)

May 15, 1997

Bud Selig Issues Memo Repeating the MLB Ban on Steroids

(Baseball)

"On May 15, 1997, acting commissioner Bud Selig distributed a nearly identical version of the [1991 Fay Vincent] drug memo, again citing steroids and directing clubs to post the policy in clubhouses and distribute copies to players. Selig's memo also went largely ignored...

[in 2005,] ESPN spoke to five GMs [General Managers] from 1997, three of whom (from the Royals, Dodgers and Rockies) couldn't recall that a steroids policy even existed."

Tom Farrey "The Memos: A Ban Ignored," ESPN the Magazine, Nov. 2005

Read the Bud Selig memo (1 MB)

1998

Irish Swimmer Suspended for Pouring Whiskey into Urine Sample to Mask Doping

(Olympics, Swimming)

Michelle Smith wins a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Source: http://www.cbc.ca (accessed June 18, 2009)

In 1998, drug testers show up at the home of Irish swimmer Michelle Smith and her husband Erik de Bruin, a former discus thrower serving a four year ban for a failed drug test. Smith won three gold and one bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the last time any Irish athlete won an Olympic gold medal (as of 2009). The lab in Barcelona discovers that Smith's urine sample contains a lethal level of alcohol.

FINA, the international swimming federation, states that Smith's bulky sweater enabled her to hide her actions from the testers as she poured whiskey into the urine sample to mask the presence of performance enhancing drugs. She is suspended from the sport for four years but allowed to keep her Olympic medals.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) "10 Drug Scandals," CBC Sports Online, Jan. 19, 2003

1998

Mark McGwire Admits to Using a Steroid Precursor

(Baseball)

Mark McGwire. Source: Sports Illustrated website (accessed June 17, 2009)

"A jar of androstenedione is discovered in the locker of St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire, who is neck and neck with Sammy Sosa in the great chase at Roger Maris' all-time record of 61 homers hit during the 1961 season. McGwire admits he uses the steroids precursor [substance that the body can convert into steroids] and goes on to hit a then record 70 homers. Using steroids, precursors or performance-enhancing drugs is not illegal at that point in Major League Baseball."

Major League Baseball (MLB) "Special Report: Drug Policy in Baseball," MLB.com (accessed May 26, 2009)

[Editor's Note: Although MLB Commissioners had issued memos in 1991 and 1997 that banned the use of steroids, the league did not institute random testing and penalties until the 2004 season.]

Feb. 1998

Snowboarder who Tests Positive for Marijuana Has Gold Medal Taken then Returned

(Olympics, Snowboarding)

Ross Rebagliati displays his Olympic gold medal. Source: http://www.cbc.ca (accessed June 17, 2009)

Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati tests positive for marijuana after winning the gold medal in the giant slalom event at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The International Olympic Committee strips him of his medal, but he appeals and the medal is returned because the International Ski Federation (FIS) rules do not explicitly ban the use of marijuana in the giant slalom event. The IOC medical code penalizes the use of marijuana only if a sports federation enacts penalities for its use.

Rebagliati claims that the traces of marijuana found in his urine are from exposure to secondhand smoke.

Christopher Clarey "Canadian Gets His Gold Medal Back," New York Times, Feb. 13, 1998

Nov. 10, 1999

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Is Established

"The World Conference on Doping in Sport held in Lausanne on 2-4 February 1999 produced the Lausanne Declaration on Doping in Sport. This document provided for the creation of an independent international anti-doping agency to be fully operational for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney in 2000.

Pursuant to the terms of the Lausanne Declaration, the World Anti-Doping Agency was established on 10 November 1999 in Lausanne to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport internationally. WADA was set up as a foundation under the initiative of the IOC with the support and participation of intergovernmental organizations, governments, public authorities, and other public and private bodies fighting against doping in sport. The agency consists of equal representatives from the Olympic Movement and public authorities."

World Anti-Doping Agency "WADA History," http://www.wada-ama.org (accessed June 10, 2009)

2000 - 2005

Date/Event/Sport Description

Oct. 1, 2000

US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Begins Operations

"The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the independent anti-doping agency for Olympic sports in the United States. USADA was created as the result of recommendations set forth by the United States Olympic Committee's Select Task Force on Externalization. USADA began operations Oct. 1, 2000, with full authority for testing, education, research and adjudication for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. It is USADA's responsibility to develop a comprehensive national anti-doping program for the Olympic Movement in the United States."

US Anti-Doping Agengy (USADA) "United States Anti-Doping Agency Fact Sheet," http://www.usantidoping.org, Mar. 2001

2002

Anti-Doping Pioneer Identifies First Designer Steroid Dr. Don Catlin, a pioneer of drug testing in sports, identifies norbolethone, the first reported designer anabolic steroid, in an athlete's urine sample for the first time. The discovery is a breakthrough in drug testing because designer steroids have rarely been detected until this point, allowing some dopers to pass drug tests without being caught.

Anti-Doping Research "Key Anti-Doping and Doping Developments in Sport," http://www.antidopingresearch.org (accessed May 6, 2009)

Molecular structure of norbolethone. Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (accessed June 18, 2009)

May 28, 2002

Former Baseball Player Says 50% of Professional Players Are Using Steroids

(Baseball)

Ken Caminiti in 1996, the season he was named MVP. Source: New York Times (accessed June 18, 2009)

Ken Caminiti tells Sports Illustrated in a May 28, 2002 article titled "Caminiti Comes Clean" that he used steroids during his 1996 National League MVP (most valuable player) season with the San Diego Padres. He estimates that half the players in the big leagues were also using steroids and admits that he also used cocaine. His statements increase pressure on MLB to include steroid testing in the labor agreement being negotiated in summer 2002.

Caminiti later dies of a heart attack at age 41 on Oct. 10, 2004. The New York Medical Examiner rules that drugs are a factor in his death.

Associated Press "Drugs Ruled as Cause of Death for Caminiti," nbcsports.msnbc.com, Nov. 2, 2004

Aug. 30, 2002

Steroid Testing Included in MLB Labor Agreement

(Baseball)

"MLB and the [Player's] union unveil Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program as an addendum to the new Basic Agreement, which is bargained at the 11th hour just as the players are about to go out on strike. The new policy calls for 'Survey Testing' in 2003 to gauge the use of steroids among players on the 40-man rosters of each club. The tests will be anonymous and no one will be punished."

Major League Baseball (MLB) "Special Report: Drug Policy in Baseball," MLB.com (accessed May 26, 2009)

Apr. 21, 2003

Wade Exum Report Alleges Cover-Up of Doping by Over 100 American Athletes

(Olympics)

Sports Illustrated reports in its Apr. 21, 2003 issue that former US Olympic Committee (USOC) anti-doping chief Wade Exum provided 30,000 pages of documents naming more than 100 US athletes from various sports who tested positive for banned substances between 1988 and 2000 but were cleared by internal appeals processes.

His allegations about cover-ups by the USOC include 19 athletes who won medals at Olympic Games, such as track and field champion Carl Lewis, tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez, and wrestler Dave Schultz. The USOC denies Exum's claims and notes that the US Anti-Doping Agency has been in charge of drug testing since 2000.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) "Carl Lewis: Drug Accusations Are 'Dead Issue,'" CBC Sports Online, Apr. 24, 2003

British Sprinter Dwain Chambers Banned from Olympics for Life for Positive THG Test

(Track and Field)

Dwain Chambers on Aug. 8, 2003. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk (accessed June 22, 2009)

British sprinter Dwain Chambers becomes the first person to test positive for the steroid THG in an out-of-competition drug test conducted on Aug. 1, 2003. On Nov. 7, 2003, he is suspended from all competition for two years and banned from the Olympics for life.

Chambers and his 2002 World Championships 4x100m relay teammates must return the silver medals they won because Chambers had been taking THG around the time of the relay race. His 100 meter record of 9.87 is annulled and he has to return his prize money from 2003.

USA TODAY "Chambers Banned for Life from Olympics for Positive THG Test," USA Today, Feb. 24, 2004

Nov. 13, 2003

High Number of Positive Tests Leads MLB to Institute Penalties for Doping

(Baseball)

"The league announces that of 1,438 anonymous tests in the 2003 season, between five and seven per cent were positive, triggering the start of random testing with penalties in 2004. A first offence will lead to counseling and a second offence to a 15-day suspension."

Associated Press "Timeline: Steroids in Baseball," Dec. 13, 2007

Dec. 2003

10 Baseball Players, including Barry Bonds, Called to Testify about BALCO

(Baseball)

"Ten Major League players, including Barry Bonds of the Giants, and Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield of the Yankees, are called to testify in front of a San Francisco grand jury investigating the machinations of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), owned and operated by Victor Conte. None of the players are charged with using performance-enhancing drugs, although four men, including Conte and Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer and childhood friend, are indicted for tax evasion and selling steroids without prescriptions."

FOX News "Timeline: Steroids in Baseball," Dec. 13, 2007

Oct. 22, 2004

President Bush Signs the Anabolic Steroid Control Act

(Baseball)

"President Bush signs into law the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 that the U.S. Congress passed earlier in the month. The bill added hundreds of steroid-based drugs and precursors such as androstenedione to the list of anabolic steroids that are classified as Schedule III controlled substances, which are banned from over-the-counter sales without a prescription. By virtue of MLB's own agreement with the union, all of the drugs banned by Congress are now on baseball's own banned list."

FOX News "Timeline: Steroids in Baseball," Dec. 13, 2007

2004

WADA Takes over Control of the Prohibited List

(Olympics)

"The IOC transfers the management of the Prohibited List (147 KB) to WADA."

Anti-Doping Research "Key Anti-Doping and Doping Developments in Sport," http://www.antidopingresearch.org (accessed May 6, 2009)

[Editor's Note: Visit our chart of 192 Banned Performance Enhancing Substances and Methods with pros and cons of the health effects]

2004

WADA Removes Caffeine from the List of Banned Substances

Prior to 2004, athletes who tested positive for a level of caffeine greater than 12 micrograms per milliliter (about 8 cups of coffee) were banned from competition.

WADA removes caffeine from the list of banned substances in 2004 because of research showing that caffeine exceeding the amount allowed might actually decrease performance, and to avoid undue punishment for athletes whose bodies metabolize caffeine at different rates.

Anna Salleh, PhD "Athletes' Caffeine Use Reignites Scientific Debate," ABC Science Online, Aug. 2, 2008

Jan. 13, 2005

Penalties for Positive Drug Tests Implemented by Major League Baseball

(Baseball)

"During a quarterly owners' meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., the owners vote unanimously to accept recently concluded negotiations between MLB and the union strengthening the drug program. The new punitive measures for Major Leaguers are a 10-day suspension for the first positive test, 30 days for the second, 60 days for the third, and one year for the fourth. All without pay. On the first positive, the player's name is released to the public. The program is separated from the Basic Agreement, which expires on Dec. 19, 2006, and is extended until 2008."

[Editor's Note: In Nov. 2005, the penalties are increased to a 50 game suspension for the first offense, 100 games for the second, and a lifetime ban for the third positive test.]

Major League Baseball (MLB) "Special Report: Drug Policy in Baseball," MLB.com (accessed May 26, 2009)

2006 - 2008

Date/Event/Sport Description

Jan. 19, 2006

First NHL Player to Test Positive for Banned Substance Suspended from International Competition But Not from NHL

(Hockey)

Bryan Berard scored 12 goals in 2005, a single-season record for his position, defenseman, on the Blue Jackets team. Source: http://www.cbc.ca (accessed June 18, 2009)

Bryan Berard, professional hockey player for the Columbus, Ohio Blue Jackets, is the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to test positive for banned substances in a Nov. 2008 drug test as part of the testing to be considered for the US Olympic hockey team.

On Jan. 19, 2008, the USADA announces that Berard is banned from international competition for two years after testing positive for 19-norandrosterone, an anabolic agent, but since the test was not administered by the NHL, he is not banned from playing in the league.

WADA president Dick Pound criticizes the decision of the NHL not to penalize Berard and states that the NHL anti-doping policy is "very seriously flawed."

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) "NHL Doping Policy Slammed," CBC Sports Online, Jan. 23, 2006

Feb. 9, 2006

US Skeleton Racer Banned for Use of Hair Growth Medicine on the Eve of the Winter Olympics

(Olympics, Skeleton)

Zach Lund racing on a skeleton sled. Source: msnbc.com (accessed June 19, 2009)

US Olympic skeleton racer Zach Lund is banned from athletic competition for one year on Feb. 9, 2006, the night before the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. On Nov. 10, 2005 Lund tested positive for Finasteride, a substance in his hair growth stimulant. Finasteride was not on the list of banned substances until Jan. 1, 2005, and was removed from the list on Jan. 1, 2009. The one year ban is a reduction from the two years recommended by the World Anti-Doping Agency because the Court of Arbitration determined that "Mr. Lund bears no significant fault or negligence."

CNN "Lund Is Handed One-Year Doping Ban," CNN.com, Feb. 10, 2006

Dec. 29, 2006

President Bush Signs a Law Banning Gene Doping in Sports

On Dec. 29, 2006, President Bush signs into law HR 6344, the "Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006," (145 KB) which prohibits the use of gene doping and bans from athletic competition anyone who uses genetic modification for performance enhancement. WADA had already banned gene doping in 2003.

HR 6344 "Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006," (145 KB) Dec. 29, 2006

July 23, 2006 - Sep. 20, 2007

Floyd Landis Wins the Tour de France But Loses Title When He Tests Positive for Elevated Testosterone Levels

(Cycling)

Floyd Landis celebrates his 2006 Tour de France victory. Source: Washington Post website (accessed June 22, 2009)

July 23, 2006: Floyd Landis wins the Tour de France when he mounts a comeback late in the race, after having trailed the leader by more than eight minutes.

July 27, 2006: Landis' team, Phonak, announces that his A sample has tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. Landis denies any wrongdoing.

Aug. 5, 2006: Landis' B sample also tests positive, and he is fired by Phonak. Landis mounts a legal defense that will eventually cost him more than $2 million.

Sep. 20, 2007: An arbitration panel votes 2-1 against Landis, resulting in a two-year suspension. Landis is officially stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title, the first winner in the 103-year history of the race to lose the title for a doping offense.

[Editor's Note: Read more about the testing in our question "Are the laboratories used to test athletes for ug. 7, 2007

Barry Bonds Hits His 756th Home Run Amid Speculation of Steroid Use

(Baseball)

Barry Bonds hits his 756th home run at the age of 43 on Aug. 7, 2007, passing Hank Aaron's major-league career record. Referencing talk of his suspected steroid use, Bonds tells reporters, "This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period. You guys can say whatever you want."

Bonds passed drug tests administered by MLB, but his connection to BALCO and evidence that arose in the 2003 BALCO investigation, lead to speculation that Bonds had taken steroids.

ESPN.com "Barry Bonds Steroids Timeline," ESPN.com, Dec. 7, 2007

Barry Bonds hits the 756th home run of his career in the 5th inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, becoming the all-time home run leader. Source: http://www.cbsnews.com (accessed June 22, 2009)

Sep. 24, 2007

DEA Announces Largest Steroid Bust in US History

"DEA and federal law enforcement officials... announced the culmination of Operation Raw Deal, an international case targeting the global underground trade of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin growth factor (IGF).

143 federal search warrants were executed on targets nationwide, resulting in 124 arrests and the seizure of 56 steroid labs across the United States. In total, 11.4 million steroid dosage units were seized, as well as 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder of Chinese origin. As part of Operation Raw Deal, $6.5 million was also seized..."

US Drug Enforcement Agency "DEA Announces Largest Steroid Enforcement Action in U.S. History," (345 KB) Press Release, Sep. 24, 2007

Oct. 5, 2007

Track Star Marion Jones Admits to Steroid Use During 2000 Olympics

(Olympics, Track and Field)

Marion Jones wins a gold medal in the 100 meter race at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Source: http://www.sfgate.com (accessed June 22, 2009)

Marion Jones retires from track and field on Oct. 5, 2007 after apologizing to friends and family in a letter admitting her steroid use prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She admits to using the BALCO designer steroid known as "The Clear."

On Dec. 12, 2007, the IOC strips her of the three gold and two bronze medals that she won in 2000. It also wipes her from the Olympic record books.

ESPN.com "Report: Jones Used Steroids for Two Years before 2000 Games," ESPN.com, Oct. 5, 2007

Nov. 1, 2007

German Athletes and Their Children Suffer Health Problems 40 Years after Doping

A study of 52 German athletes who were given anabolic steroids during the 1970's and 1980's without their knowledge or consent reveals serious health consequences for those athletes and their children. The research was conducted by Dr. Giselher Spitzer from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.

A quarter of the athletes have some form of cancer and one-third report thoughts or attempts of suicide.

The risk of miscarriage and stillbirth for these athletes is 32 times higher than the normal German population. Of the 69 children that survived, seven have physical deformities and four are mentally handicapped. More than a quarter of the children have allergies and 23 percent have asthma.

Jacquelin Magnay "Children of Doping Athletes Deformed," Sydney Morning Herald, N

ETC ETC AD NAUSEUM

[Daz69]

Bloody Hell....!!!! Great post............. :nod:

I see no one has tried to follow, (probably still reading it)... Well there's always one idiot so here goes...... :pfft:

If we accept that as a human race, there will be those that want to see winners, and those that want to win.....

At times fuelled on by obscene financial incentives, Media hype, & sponsership deals... The lure of fame & fortune...

There will always be those that will want to win (at all costs).....!!!!

This has happened ever since recorded history, & continues now..

Who doesn't believe that in successive olympics we've been getting ripped off by the East Germans, the Russians & the bloody Chinese...!!!

International fame or International disgrace.... You make your choice, You take the risk....

The winners never really lose, even if they get caught, they get the fame, the fortune (be it for a limited time)..... They get remembered, if for the wrong reason... Maybe get a book or film deal out of it.....

Ben johnson is still a household name, anyone remember who who he beat & came 2nd, I don't.??

Who remembers the losers?

Those picked out in their early years, losing out on a childhood..

Getting up at 5am every day, training before school, after school, in their holidays... Competition days at weekends..

Parents who struggle to find the time, money & resorces... On their own, no assistance from any sporting body.. Paying for coaches, fees to send their child to a college of sporting excellence, everything they can to give their child the best they can....

Till the day they stand at the starting block...

The last eight years all lead to this one day.....

The Medal that says World Champion, should have Their name on it...

A lifetime of fame should await...

All those years should be about to pay off....

Sorry mate..!!! The winners on enhancements, tough luck....You come 2nd..

Your not a household name, you've no sponsership deal, you'll never be on TV, or appear in that magazine...

You've missed out on your childhood.. (no you can't have it back)..

You've no qualifications, you were always training.....

Now fuk off out into the real world & get a job.....!!!!

If You could go back...... And the British Coach offered you something special, just to make you that bit faster.............

What would You Do...????

:wink:

[Phedder]

Ben johnson is still a household name, anyone remember who who he beat & came 2nd, I don't.??

Good post Daz, some good points and reality checks. But I had chime in here. It was Carl Lewis, a much more successful and arguably more famous Athlete. Who also tested positive for stimulants before the Seoul Olympics for stimulants, but claimed inadvertent use and was allowed to compete, along with many other athletes.

[TonganTerror]

awesome awesome post mnz and daz this thread is one Ive been sitting at most of my spare time sifting through..... :clap: :clap:

[Tonka]

Great post MNZ!!!