Anabolic steroids in surfing

Anabolic steroids are utilized by surfers too. Sport governing body confirms that forbidden medications are a significant problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals made a decision to implicate testing for anabolic steroids and other prohibited medications that are used for performance-enhancing effects.
The Association of Surfing Professionals had several discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could introduce testing for banned preparations into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is claimed to be the best policy, the surfing organization wants to use this protocol. Undoubtedly, this is the next victory of the WADA which gives the opportunity to manage drug-testing programs in sports.
Everyone knows that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are principal skills that promote winning. Thus, surfers could think that administration of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs contributes in success greatly. It is also important to take in consideration that amount of money which is got by winners is large. Winners obtain no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to obtain money could lead surfers to decision to take anabolic steroids.
Nonetheless, it is said that administration of anabolic steroids and other medicines which have performance-enhancing effects is not widespread in surfing. Many individuals believe that intake of recreational drugs is more widespread among surfers than intake of steroids. Sport of 1970s and 1980s was frequently associated with marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Current facts support this impression. The number of surfers that are caught using 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 defined that steroids hadn’t been implicated in this fatal case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his body.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. Increased levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for Anthony Ruffo, another professional surfer, he was caught distributing meth.
Only Neco Padaratz, a professional surfer from Brazil, was caught administrating steroids. He was banned for one year. This person tested positive for prohibited products in 2004. This surfer said that he had used these preparations to get a full recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was banned. He was the first person that was caught taking steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to many sources, he remains to be the only surfer who has ever been caught by the ASP.
The ASP has already the initial budget to introduce the WADA anti-doping program into surfing.
Although it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new drug-testing program can create a wrong public impression.