Drug Screening in Sports

To the outside and casual observer, the way in which the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have been both organised and competed in, appears a triumph. For those of us who participate from the sidelines and the comfort of our armchairs there has been much to savour.

The hours and hours of gruelling effort and self-sacrifice that so many of the athletes must endure in order to compete at that level is to be praised and respected. As one who moans about the prospect of walking to the local post office, I cannot imagine what it must take to train day after punishing day! As a result I feel very sorry that those dedicated men and women have to compete against some in their number (a minority I am certain) who seek to enhance their performance by the illegal use of drugs and other substances. Not only are they cheating clean athletes, but also they are guilty of raising doubts in the minds of those of us who spectate about the means by which those who do medal achieved their success.

As humans we are forever striving to reach further and further and push harder and harder; whether that's in technology, exploring the cosmos or pushing our physical limits which is what these athletes are doing. When this happens and limits are pushed (Usain Bolt or David Rudisha as examples) the status these people achieve is rightly deserved; however, if there is that cloud of suspicion and doubts in the mind of the audience due to others use of drugs, would that status ever be reached? Would people actively push themselves and break those limits if they were only to be greeted with suspicion from those who are watching and ultimately elevate them to a higher status? Unfortunately a number of athletes at the Glasgow Games have tested positive for drugs: Gareth Warburton and Rhys Williams from the Welsh team and gold medallist weightlifter Chika Amalaha, but how many haven't been caught?

This article by the British Medical Council is extremely interesting and covers both human boundaries and the issue of drug use.

The Commonwealth Games is not the only sporting spectacle to be put in this position. In spite of the existing drug testing regimes, there are clearly ways and means to work within and around the system; or at the very least provide the opportunity for those who believe the reward is worth the risk to take the chance. It would be naïve to believe that drug use in sports isn’t institutional in scale, given the numbers competing across the globe and the fact that bodies such as WADA exist to detect it. Do those competitors who use drugs believe they can act with impunity (the likelihood of detection being slim) or is their detection more to do with getting the timing wrong in the run-up to competition?

If the existing detection/deterrent value is not enough to eradicate the problem then is it time to consider a different approach by adding a new weapon to the arsenal? Polygraph testing has both detection and deterrent capabilities and when validated techniques are used by competent examiners, the success rates are very high. This is particularly the case when investigating historical crime or wrong-doing – abstinence in this case does not remove the evidence, or in this context the memory of the event! If those responsible for getting sport to clean up its act once and for all are serious, an in-depth consideration should be given to using this technique, and perhaps then that cloud of suspicion may be dispersed.