Crackdown needed
Australian chiefs want tougher drug laws
Posted: Wednesday October 14, 1998 01:50 PM
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Coates said it was important that the Australian government took a stand against sport drugs well before the Olympics Al Bello/Allsport |
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Australian Olympic chiefs are increasing pressure on the federal government to introduce tough laws against the importation of performance-enhancing sports drugs before the Sydney 2000 Games.
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said Wednesday the issue had come to a head after two athletes found with drugs in their possession had escaped any penalty because of a legal loophole.
Coates said the athletes were caught carrying drugs, which are banned in sport but are not prohibited by Australian customs regulations.
"Trafficking in this country is out of hand," Coates told Australian radio.
"We need governments to have stronger laws...and the resources to seriously attack this problem."
Under existing laws, customs officials were prevented from revealing the identity of the two athletes or the sports they were involved in.
The case is the latest is a series of incidents involving the importation of sports drugs.
Earlier this year, a Chinese swimmer and her coach were caught smuggling human growth hormone into Sydney Airport a week before the world championships in Perth. Both were banned by world swimming body FINA although no action was taken for smuggling a restricted substance.
In November 1997, a leading triathlete was reportedly caught in possession of the banned drug erythropoietin (EPO) just before the start of the world championships, also held in Perth. No action was taken because the athlete had not committed a criminal offence.
Coates said it was important that the Australian government took a stand against sport drugs well before the Olympics.
"We are going to have a lot international athletes here in the lead up to the Olympics because they know that there is easy access to hard sports drugs here," Coates said.
"If there are laws, privacy laws that stand in the way, then they need to be changed.
"Government has to cooperate with us if we're going to win this fight."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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