Drugs not new to sport according to newly-released book

A new book entitled Drugs, Sport and the Law was launched recently by the new Chief Executive Officer of the Fremantle Dockers Football Club, Cameron Schwab.

The book, by Senior Lecturer in Law at Murdoch University, Tony Buti, and Senior Lecturer in Law at Sydney University, Saul Fridman, focuses on the manner in which doping policies are implemented in Australia and worldwide.

It also examines the nature and extent of doping activity, the manner in which sporting activity is organised and the concept and implementation of the arbitration of sporting disputes.

“Recent high-profile cases are analysed, providing readers with a clear view of the problems often encountered in drug testing,” said Mr Buti.

He said the book would serve as a useful reference for those whose lives were taken up with sporting activity, as well as those seeking a concise explanation of an extremely complex set of rules.

“Drugs are not new to sport,” said Mr Buti.

“For centuries, athletes have been making use of any advantage available to them to achieve their goals. However, what has definitely changed is the environment within which sporting activity takes place.”

He said the strong desire to maintain a sport’s clean image ensured that mandatory drug testing of athletes was acceptable to most.

“Needless to say, the advent of mandatory drug testing in sport has raised a number of important legal and political questions,” he said.

Recent years have seen a number of highly publicised disputes following the positive drug tests of elite athletes, and this book uses some of these cases as examples.

The book should also be of use to athletes, administrators, coaches and those involved in policy formulation in this area as well as lawyers.