Are sports stars who are caught using illegal drugs unfairly vilified?

With the Paris Olympics and Paralympics wrapped up, and main Australian sports activities codes coming to an finish of their 2024 seasons, many athletes will probably be celebrating well-earned wins and commiserating losses.

Whereas it is a joyous event for many, some are more likely to discover themselves in a scandal involving illicit medication.

Many readers will recall the damning headlines throughout the Paris Olympics when Australian hockey participant Tom Craig was arrested (and launched with out cost) for allegedly shopping for cocaine.

As the previous Olympic silver medalist was swarmed by media, Craig apologized, earlier than being despatched residence with out Olympic privileges and later suspended from taking part in for the nationwide staff for 12 months.

Lower than per week later, Nationwide Rugby League (NRL) star Latrell Mitchell equally discovered himself in sizzling water when a photograph of him with white powder was leaked on-line.

Mitchell claimed he had made “poor selections” and has now been fined $40,000 and suspended for one sport for bringing the sport into disrepute.

Medication in sport

On the subject of athletes and medicines, we sometimes consider steroids.

These performance-enhancing medication are prohibited to be used amongst athletes in keeping with Sports activities Integrity Australia and the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA).

For a drug to be on the prohibited listing it should meet two of the three following circumstances: 1) it has the potential to reinforce efficiency; 2) it has the potential to threat athletes’ well being; and, 3) it violates the spirit of the game.

It is not shocking medication that give athletes a aggressive edge are banned.

Curiously, illicit medication like cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) are additionally on the WADA prohibited listing, regardless of no convincing proof to counsel they will enhance athletic efficiency.

Threat-takers and sensation-seekers

Australia is a sport-loving nation. Many people rejoice our athletes’ risk-taking and aggression.

So why are we shocked when these similar behaviors, risk-taking and aggression, can generally result in drug use?

After a long time of analysis, it’s now more and more clear that risk-taking, aggression and sensation looking for—character traits that assist construct an amazing athlete—are additionally linked with elevated drug and alcohol use.

This affiliation is even stronger amongst males underneath the age of 25.

There are a variety of causes for why individuals, together with athletes, use medication.

Not solely are medication usually used to deal with the emotional strain that may be excessive in skilled sport but in addition as a means of managing the ache related to bodily accidents.

Also known as the “self-medication speculation,” some individuals use medication and alcohol to handle their psychological well being. Nevertheless it has truly been proven to usually intensify psychological well being signs.

This additionally seems to be the case for managing bodily well being.

As an illustration, persistent ache is the main motive why individuals search medicinal hashish in Australia.

Regardless of this, there’s restricted proof that hashish and different illicit medication are efficient long-term in decreasing ache.

Total, whether or not it is because of their character, emotional strain or bodily well being, our sports activities stars are weak to utilizing medication.

Social influences

The World Anti-Doping Code particularly defines “the spirit of sport” as the moral pursuit of human excellence by the devoted perfection of every athlete’s pure abilities.

It is a excessive bar. It’s no shock then that we as a group are seemingly outraged when an athlete is “caught” not assembly these excessive expectations.

Maybe we have to higher disentangle perfection in sport from perfection in character.

Many imagine these athletes are position fashions who must be setting an excellent instance for younger individuals.

It’s true that social affect performs an essential position in drug use amongst younger individuals, however this doesn’t suggest those that we glance as much as are at fault.

As an alternative, we have to have higher conversations with younger individuals about drug use.

Most significantly, this dialog must be evidence-based with out private criticism or judgment.

What might be executed?

Stigmatizing drug use could cause psychological misery, making the state of affairs even worse.

To make sure a reliable relationship, we have to share information with younger individuals.

In 2021-2022, virtually half of all Australians over the age of 14 reported illicit drug use, most of whom wouldn’t have skilled any well being issues due to their use.

Whereas the most secure strategy to keep away from hurt from medication is to not use, the “say no to medication” message doesn’t work. In some instances, this technique may even be dangerous, notably for individuals who use medication and are denied help or therapy.

Everybody deserves sources that may assist them handle their drug use and well-being with out judgment.

It’s essential we equip younger individuals with abilities and methods to not solely keep away from medication however to make evidence-informed selections and reduce the danger of any harms in the event that they do select to make use of.

Why should not related compassion and help be proven in the direction of our athletes?

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