Department for Culture Media and Sport

drug free sport

DCMS and the Government are fully committed to stopping the use of prohibited drugs and doping in sport.

 

Government policy actively supports the World Anti Doping Agency and its World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), which sets the basis for the global fight against doping in sport.

The WADA code
The code is an international set of rules and guidelines, developed to protect sport from doping.  The Code aims to harmonise rules across all sports and countries, including:

  • Strict liability - an athlete is held responsible if a banned substance is found in their body, no matter how it got there.
  • Standardisation of anti doping offences
  • A list of substances that are prohibited in competition and out of competition in different sports
  • An Athlete's right to a fair hearing

Find out which drugs are prohibited by WADA and more about the Code

The implementation of the WADA code in the UK
UK Sport, supported by DCMS, is working with sport's national governing bodies (NGBs) to implement the Code into sport's rules and regulations and determine an effective level of testing for each sport.

The majority of sports in the UK either comply with the Code, or are well on course to meet the requirements of the Code.

UK Sport also has responsibility for the UK's drug testing programme, providing anti-doping education to athletes and support personnel.

Testing for drugs
UK Sport is responsible for the implementation of an effective testing programme across a large number of sports. 

UK Sport holds a register of Drug Control Officers (DCOs) who are appointed to collect samples from specific events, training sessions or individual athletes.

UK Sport’s Drug-Free Directorate trains, verifies and registers all DCOs who then work to set guidelines to ensure that a strict and high standard of sample collection is maintained.

Is it successful?
The UK's level of positive findings stands at around 1.3%, against a worldwide average of 1.9%.  This suggests that the UK's drug testing programme is an effective deterrent in the fight against doping in sport.

Anti-doping education
UK Sport's education programme, 100%ME, provides information and support to athletes so that they can perform to the best of their ability without the use of drugs. 

The programme promotes drug free sport through direct interaction with athletes, developing accredited anti-doping tutors and enlisting sportspeople as ambassadors for their sport.

 

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