THERE CAN BE NO PLACE FOR DRUGS IN IRISH SPORT

IN a nation literally obsessed with sport, and after a weekend in
which Irish teams competed on the international stage in soccer, rugby
and golf, it is disturbing to note an alarmingly high proportion of
this country’s athletes are turning to performance enhancing drugs.

>From Ben Johnson to Michelle De Bruin, it is painfully clear athletes
are slow to learn the harsh lessons of doping. The public will find it
incredible that as many as one in ten of the country’s athletes now
resort to doping to improve his or her performance.

The temptations to take drugs are enormous. Those who successfully
evade detection can go on to fame and financial fortunes. But,
invariably, those who are caught will suffer ignominy and disgrace.

Astonishingly, according to statistics revealed at a weekend
conference in Dingle, 10% of our athletes engage in substance abuse.
To the vast majority of people, who believe in the merits of fair play
and a level pitch, this deception is utterly unacceptable.

They will welcome the establishment of a national anti doping
committee which meets for the first time this week to plan a testing
programme for the country’s 600 athletes, starting next month.

It is essential to get across the message that drugs are both harmful
to the health of athletes themselves, and also damaging to the ethos
of sport.

As demonstrated in the scandal surrounding triple Olympic gold medal
winner Michelle De Bruin, fans and even casual admirers also suffer
when their trust is betrayed by an athlete of her standing. It leaves
a sour taste in the public mind.

In addition to policing athletes, the move by Sports Minister Jim
McDaid to legislate against the importation of growth promoters, is
another important element in the fight against doping. As things
stand, the authorities would be powerless to prevent an athlete
bringing suitcases full of banned substances into the country.

Those athletes who intend embarking on the slippery slope of drug
abuse would do well to heed the warning of Dr Conor O’Brien, head of
the Irish Sports Council Anti Doping Committee, who has outlined their
horrific and often fatal side effects. His graphic description should
be enough to deter even the most hardened abuser and bring home the
fact that drugs in sport is a public health issue.

Given the damaging publicity which can surround suspected cases, it is
essential that testing be carried out in an atmosphere of total
confidentiality so that athletes can rely on the expertise and
fairness of the system.

It is vital to convince athletes to clean up their act and get rid of
drugs. There can be no place for doping in Irish sport.