Plans of the Association of Surfing Professionals connected with a new steroid program

Anabolic steroids are taken by surfers too. Sport governing body proclaims that controlled medications are a great problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals decided to introduce testing for anabolic steroids and other prohibited drugs which are taken for increase of performance.
The Association of Surfing Professionals had certain discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could implicate testing for banned drugs into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is considered to be the best policy, the surfing organization desires to introduce this protocol. It goes without saying that this is the next victory of the WADA that induces the opportunity to manage drug-testing programs in sports.
It is known that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are principal skills which promote winning. Thus, surfers could be convinced that usage of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs induces success greatly. It is also necessary to take in consideration that amount of money which is received by winners is large. Winners obtain no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to obtain money could lead surfers to decision to administrate anabolic steroids.
Nevertheless, it is said that administration of anabolic steroids and other products which cause performance-enhancing effects is not widespread in surfing. Numerous individuals believe that intake of recreational drugs is more widespread among surfers than administration of steroids. Sport of 1970s and 1980s was frequently associated with marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Current facts justify this impression. The number of surfers who are caught taking marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine is quite increased.
The professional surfer Andi Irons died in November 2010. A heart attack that he had was caused by drug abuse. It was determined that steroids hadn’t been involved in this fatal case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his system.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. High levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for Anthony Ruffo, another professional surfer, he was caught selling meth.
Only the professional surfer from Brazil Neco Padaratz was caught administrating steroids. He received a one-year ban. This person tested positive for forbidden drugs in 2004. This surfer said that he had used these medications to get a full recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was banned. He was the first person who was caught administrating steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to numerous reports, he remains to be the only surfer that has ever been caught by the ASP.
The ASP has already the primary budget to introduce the WADA anti-doping program into surfing.
However it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new drug-testing program can create a wrong public perception.