A new steroid program in surfing

Anabolic steroids are used by surfers too. Sport governing body claims that controlled drugs are an essential problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals made a decision to introduce testing for anabolic steroids and other banned preparations that are applied for performance-enhancing effects.
The Association of Surfing Professionals led some discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could introduce testing for banned medicines into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is claimed to be the best policy, the surfing organization desires to use this protocol. Of course, this is the next victory of the WADA that induces the opportunity to control anti-doping programs in sports.
It is known that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are principal abilities that induce winning. So, surfers could believe that administration of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs influences on success greatly. It is also important to take in consideration that amount of money which is got by winners is large. Winners get no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to receive money could lead surfers to decision to take anabolic steroids.
Nevertheless, it is said that intake of anabolic steroids and other preparations that enhance performance is not widespread in surfing. Many persons believe that application of recreational drugs is more widespread among surfers than usage of steroids. Sport of 1970s and 1980s was oftan associated with marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Current facts support this impression. The number of surfers who are caught administrating marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine is quite enhanced.
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 involved in this fatal case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his body.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. Enhanced levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for the professional surfer Anthony Ruffo, he was caught distributing meth.
Only Neco Padaratz, a professional surfer from Brazil, was caught taking steroids. He was banned for one year. This person tested positive for prohibited products in 2004. This surfer confirmed that he had taken these drugs to get a complete recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was sentenced to a ban. He was the first person who was caught using steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to certain 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 steroid program into surfing.
While it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new anti-doping program can create a wrong public impression.