E-DRUG: Use of drugs in sports (cont'd)

[Rodrigo Rosa <sysop@bol.healthnet.org>]

E-drug: Use of drugs in sports (cont'd)
---------------------------------------------

Dear E-Druggers,

As a member of the Technical Committee of the Bolivian Federation of
Ski and Andean Sports, I'm worried about use of epoietin as a drug in
sports, since its effect is rather similar to the effect of training in
highland cities like La Paz-Bolivia. The banning of use of epoietin is
good, as are all efforts to ban use of drugs in sports. However,
disqualifying athletes with high levels of hemoglobin should be further
discussed because such decisions may affect athletes from countries
like Nepal, Bolivia and Peru. They may be disqualified not because they
took a forbidden drug, but because of a natural condition of the
environment they live in. The high levels of hemoglobin in highland
athletes is compensated by liquid retention that prohibits to perform at
the levels they are used to in their home lands.

Some other drugs forbidden in sports are being discussed now since
the recent disqualification of a canadian snowboarder who won the gold
medal at Nagano's Winter Olympic Games. I've seen many athletes
around the world smoking Marihuana, and that certainly did not help
them to increase their performance. Instead, marihuana consumption
reduced their abilities.

Best regards,

Rodrigo Rosa
System operator
Healthnet-Bolivia
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