Doping & Drugs

Doping is the use of drugs to gain competitive advantage. This is cheating. It is also is illegal and can damage your health.

The British Swimming Association has an anti-doping policy. It enforces anti-doping rules and maintains a doping control programme (including drug detection tests). In Britain, any registered competitor may be tested for drug abuse. Very young competitors tend not to be tested but testing has occurred at the National Age Groups Championships. Punishment for a positive drugs test may vary widely from a warning letter up to a lengthy (possibly permanent) ban from training and competition. A swimmer may be penalised even if the drug was taken unknowingly/accidentally e.g. in medicines.

Medicines

Some common medicines contain drugs which are illegal. If in doubt check with your GP or pharmacist and refer to the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) hyperlink below. Most anti asthma drugs are only legal if taken by inhaler. If such drugs have to be used by mouth or injection they must be declared in writing to the ASA. Some other groups of drugs are legal if they are declared in advance but only if they are given for a specific condition eg. dental anaesthetic.

Even the taking of legal medications may require competitive swimmers to complete a medical declaration form.

List of Prohibited Drugs

To check you are not unknowingly taking banned substances the current Prohibited Drugs List can be consulted via this link

British Swimming Anti-Doping Rules - Click here

Information about Asthma and the competitive swimmer Click Here

100% ME a website aimed at young people in sport - Click here