Abstract des Autors

This conference is quite specifically aimed at doctors and scientists and includes many who have distinguished themselves in the fight against drug abuse in sport. The IAAF leads all other Federations in the same battle with legislation, their methodology and their intent. Yet it is obvious that the problem is growing and already far more widespread than hitherto accepted. Could the two factors possibly be related? Are we asking scientists to be jealous guardians of our precious ideals and should we expect them to share them? Is their vital scientific scrutiny responsible for much of the time lag between the drugs actually being used and those currently being tested for? One noted example is the use of anabolic steroids which began in the early 1960's and was not banned until 1976. Even now many doctors do not believe that their use enhances the performance of the athlete although they are uncertain which benefits the athlete is seeking. lf we demand answers on a scientific proof basis, then many questions will go unanswered. Should we not give greater credence to the vast store of empirical knowledge that is in the hands of teachers, youth leaders and coaches for they are far closer to the athlete and may even be able to vice the athlete's own fears. Should we not ask our scientist to at least take account of the street knowledge readily available on drug use in sport rather than simply dismiss it as tabloid sensationalism. In our search for the answers to a massive problem which is destroying the credibility of our sport and rendering our records books irrelevant, should we not pool all available knowledge proven or otherwise from current and past athletes, coaches and administrators as well as doctors and scientists? The public, as parents or simply as spectators, have a right to know the answers to many begging questions. For example: 1. Why do we not discover more cheats when all the evidence indicates that we are merely scratching the surface of the problem? 2. Why is there no established or published epidemiological study on the long- term effects of high dosage steroid use? 3. Why is there no published desk study of all available research in drug abuse in sport which would allow correlation and avoid duplication. 4. In a medically sophisticated country like West Germany, why did more than a dozen doctors fail to diagnose the cause of death of an internationally known athlete Birgit Dressel? 5. Why are member countries of this Federation allowed to test their own athletes for identification purposes only without naming the proven cheats? Not only is this morally indefensible but it makes a nonsense of your own statistics related to drug abuse. 6. Why did it take more than twelve years to ban the use of anabolic steroids, during which time a whole generation of athletes became dependent upon them. 7. Where are tomorrow's tests for yesterday's and today's drugs, etc., etc. Verf.-Referat