Why is drug use in sport banned?
The sporting community regards the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs and doping methods as cheating. The fundamental ethos of sporting competition is the contest between highly skilled athletes who have gained their expertise through hard work and natural ability, rather than through cheating. Many of the banned drugs used to enhance an athlete’s performance are illegal and some cause harmful short and long-term damage to an athlete’s health. For more information visit the drug use and health page. For example, prolonged use of anabolic steroids can cause liver damage, the use of diuretics can cause severe dehydration and even death, and beta blockers can reduce blood pressure to the point where the person’s heart may stop beating. The battle against the use of banned substances is supported by governments the world over. Australia is recognised as a world leader in this battle and was one of the first countries to establish an independent drug testing agency. The Australian Sp
