2009 Prohibited Substances and Methods List now available

06/10/2008

The World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, has just released its updated prohibited substances and methods list for 2009. This list “reflects the expanding scientific knowledge and understanding of doping practices and trends, as well as advances in anti-doping science” and will come into effect on 1 January 2009.

For the complete list, click here.

Changes in the 2009 list include modifications to the status of specified substances, the removal of Alpha-reductase inhibitors, changes to the TUE programme for beta-2 agonists and glucocorticosteroids. Substances such as caffeine, pseudoephedrine and sildenafil (Viagra) remain on the monitoring list. Epitestosterone has been moved from section S5 (Diuretics and other Masking Agents) to S1 (Anabolic Agents, Endogenous Anabolic Androgenic Agents). All stimulants in the 2008 prohibited list were classified as specified or non specified substances according to the following criteria: “the potential of these stimulants to enhance performance in sport, their risk to health, their general use in medicinal products, their legitimate market availability, their illicit use, their legal/controlled status in various countries, their history and potential of abuse in sport, their potential of addiction, the likelihood of approval for therapeutic use, their pharmacology, and other scientific elements, as well as the likelihood of a non-doping explanation.”

This change will allow for more flexibility in applying sanctions consistent with the revised Code. More severe sanctions can be given for deliberate doping offences. If however an athlete can establish how a specified substance entered his or her body and was not intended to enhance sport performance, the sanction could be reduced to a reprimand and no period of ineligibility.

Alpha-reductase inhibitors such as finasteride have been removed from the 2009 list. These were banned in and out of competition. Research has shown however they are not effective as masking agents for steroids.

The use of inhaled beta-2 agonists, formoterol, salbutamol, salmeterol and terbulatine will now require a standard therapeutic use exemption (TUE). The use of glucocorticosteroids will require a declaration of use.

Caffeine and pseudoephedrine will remain on WADA’s monitoring programme for 2009. More research is also being funded by WADA for sildenafil (Viagra) and its use for recovering at altitude. The monitoring programme is used to detect patterns of misuse of certain substances in sport.

Epitestosterone has been moved to the section S1 (Anabolic Agents, Endogenous Anabolic Androgenic Agents) in order to maintain its status as a non-specified substance for sanction purposes.