The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has reminded athletes of its “no needles policy” that bans the possession of needles, syringes and any other steroid paraphernalia during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Several popular performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are delivered by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. These include anabolic steroids (such as Deca Durabolin, Equipoise and Trenbolone), human growth hormone (hGH) and blood boosting drugs (such as erythropoietin [EPO] and PEGylated EPO [CERA]).
The IOC has instructed 205 national Olympic Committees to educate their athletes regarding the new policy. The ban on medical paraphernalia was implemented in response to the large number of needles and syringes found in the dormitories of athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Arne Ljungqvist, the Chairman of the IOC Medical Commission, told the Associated Press last year that such medical products have been stigmatized and associated with steroids and doping by the general public.
“We won’t accept medical equipment like syringes and needles in the field of play or nonmedical environment,” said Ljungqvist. “It gives a very bad image and a bad message and can relate to misuse of drugs and doping.”
The “no needles policy” bans such items from the Olympic village, locker rooms, sleeping quarters and competition sites. The steroid paraphernalia ban is not part of the WADA Code. The IOC ban has its own penalties independent of WADA.
Athletes were previously permitted to inject various substances such as vitamins, sugars, enzymes and amino acids. Travis Tygart, the chief executive officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), fully supports the “no needles policy.” He views the “culture of nonmedically necessary injections” as a growing problem that is harmful for sports.
“Now, if you get caught with needles, we’re not going to debate whether those needles were used for vitamin B12 or for steroids, like in the Roger Clemens debate,” said Tygart told the New York Times last year. “We’re just telling you that you can’t have needles.”
Source:
Swamy, VN (July 6, 2012). Syringes banned in Olympic Village to stop doping. Retrieved from http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-06/bangalore/32564792_1_doping-medical-commission-chairman-medical-equipment
Macur, J. (July 8, 2011). New Tactic in Fight Against Doping: No Syringes Allowed. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/sports/olympics/ioc-bans-syringes-at-2012-london-games.html
