Dopaje: Definition and its negative consequences
In the sports field, doping or doping is understood as the use of prohibited or non -regulatory chemical elements, elements or substances. It is estimated that these words come from the verb ‘To Dope’ in English, which can be translated as ‘get high’ in Spanish.
However, doping was taking a broader dimension within the sports universe in recent decades. And after the publication of the world anti doping code, carried out by the World Anti Dopaje (Wada-Ama) agency, the concept has begun to incorporate any act that violates the anti doping rules in the sport.
What is considered doping in the sports field?
These would be regulated cases:
- Use prohibited methods or substances (or try to do) during competencies or sporting events.
- Present prohibited substances, as its metabolisms or markers, in the bloodstream, urine or other body fluids of athletes.
- Refuse to provide samples or evade clinical/medical studies without justified causes.
- Do any type of deception or fraud (or try to do them) in controls and studies, either how to adulterate the results.
- Absent from the scheduled evidence outside competition or not present the required documentation (three times, over 18 months).
- Buy, sell or have prohibited substances and methods (or try).
- Facilitate, apply or prescribe prohibited chemicals to athletes, as well as stimulate or encourage them to consume, buy, sell them or facilitate them to other athletes.
- Found, promote or participate in prohibited associations.
- Act as an accomplice of any given behaviors mentioned above, covering up or not reporting said infractions to the competent authorities.
In this way, we clearly observe not only athletes can incur the crime of doping. Also coaches and members of the leading, administrative and doctors teams can be forced to face judicial processes of doping.
Negative consequences of doping
To analyze the negative risks and consequences of doping, you need to go far beyond the possible legally determined sanctions. First, it is essential to be clear that the use of certain substances and methods imply numerous hazards for the athlete’s health.
The prohibition of certain drugs and chemical components do not only have to ensure that competitions occur in equitable conditions. It is also – and above all – to protect the organism from those who choose sport as their work. The extremely negative social impact of doping cases in sport must also be considered. On the one hand, the athlete who commits these infractions loses not only his reputation, but also the social gaze of admiration and respect. When accused of doping, he begins to be a victim of discriminations and society tends to isolate him.
On the other hand, the millions of children and young people who dream of consecrating in the sports field are usually disappointed by doping scandals. And the worst part is that many of them can be negatively influenced by the message that, to succeed in sport, it needs to violate the rules and put their health at risk.
Judicial doping processes: economic and criminal risks
Considering all the negative consequences of doping for sport and society in general, many countries have been approving more rigorous sanctions for doping cases. In this sense, Spain is one of the nations that already foresee the possibility of condemning doping with penalties in jail. In the Spanish Criminal Code, there is an article specifically dedicated to the so -called doping crime. We are talking about article 362, whose text provides that those who incur this crime: “… will be punished with prison sentences from six months to two years, a fine of six to eighteen months, and professional disqualification for employment or public office, profession or trade, two to five years."
However, there is an extremely controversial discussion regarding the concept of doping in the Spanish Criminal Code. And, if article 362 is strictly followed, it would be very difficult to condemn an athlete who uses substances not regulated by doping crime. Basically, this occurs because their text provides that penalties apply only to those who provide, facilitate or administer such substances and methods without therapeutic purposes to athletes. Of these there are many cases in sports history.
As we see, they only protect the athlete from the damage caused by third parties, but does not contemplate the infractions they can commit by their own means, consciously and voluntarily. Therefore, it became necessary to approve specific regulations on the fight against doping in sport, with emphasis on athletes and their surroundings. Currently, if it is proven that an athlete has fallen to any infraction according to the world authority in this regard, he can be forced to pay fines, return prizes, economically compensate for his sponsors and even be prohibited from exercising his activity temporarily or permanently.
Leave feedback