ANTI DOPING Irish Sports Council Publishes Anti-Doping Annual Report for 2009
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The anti-doping programme marked its 10th year of activity with 955 tests in 36 sports. There was a total of seven adverse findings. Three of the positives were for cannabinoids, two in motorcycling and one in soccer, which resulted in short bans. Four more adverse findings were forwarded to the relevant international federation which has the responsible for managing the case.
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Professor Brendan Buckley, Chairperson of the Anti-Doping Committee, said: "The 10th anniversary of the programme gives us an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved over the past decade and how it will evolve over the next decade. Internationally greater use of investigative techniques is emerging as the key weapon against doping along with enhanced scientific methods and enhanced education. This is the direction we will have to follow over the coming years."
Irish Sports Anti-Doping Programme The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme was established by the Irish Sports Council in 1999. It commenced operation in January 2000. The purpose of the Programme is to ensure that sport is drug free. It does this through three key elements; testing, research and education. Since 2007 the Council has taken complete responsibility for every aspect of the testing programme. In 2009 829 tests were carried out under the national programme, with 58% of these out of competition. The remainder, 126, were carried out under the User Pays programme. The total for 2008 was 1,114. Anti-doping regulations are administered in a unified and harmonised approach across all sports in the country. The Council's fundamental objectives are based on the firm base of the Council of Europe's Anti-Doping Convention which was the first formal mechanism for international standardisation. This convention was formally ratified by the Irish government in 2003. The Irish Government is a signatory to the Copenhagen Declaration committing to the support of the World Anti-Doping Code. With the advent of the World Anti-Doping Code the Council moved ahead in developing the Irish Anti-Doping Rules, to which all Irish NGBs are now signatories. The original Rules were adopted in 2004 and were updated in 2008. They were introduced from January 1, 2009. The Anti-Doping Unit is active internationally, recognizing that the fight against drugs in sport is a global fight. During 2009 the Council maintained its commitment to the monitoring of the international anti-doping environment through the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) independent observer programme. In April 2009 the Council hosted the annual workshop of ANADO and attended the WADA Symposium in Lausanne. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the practical implications of the new WADA Code to assess what new ways of working are required to continue to fight doping in sport. The Irish Sports Council has launched its official policy on the use of nutritional supplements in sport. There is widespread concern on the health risks associated with the use of supplements, particularly in younger athletes, and a real risk of accidental contamination leading to a positive drugs test. Approximately 50% of athletes take sports or health supplements. The "Food and Food Supplements Policy" addresses the issues without seeking to prohibit them or to endorse any particular product. The policy highlights the risk of contamination. Athletes are advised to be extremely cautious of the source of any supplements and to always seek advice from a qualified Sports Dietician. The Anti-Doping Unit, with a budget of €1.4 million and a fulltime staff of 4, is part of the executive of the Irish Sports Council. It reports to a specialist committee of the Council, the Anti-Doping Committee. Dr Brendan Buckley is the current Chairman of the Committee. In addition there are a number of other committees that have been established under the Irish Rules to oversee various aspects of the Units' work.
Highlights of 2009
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