World Medical Association To Consider New Warning For Doctors
On Doping In Sport
Following the recent spate of doping scandals in report, the World
Medical Association is to consider issuing a fresh warning to doctors
about their involvement in doping in sport.
At its annual General Assembly meeting in Ottawa, Canada in October,
the WMA, representing eight million physicians from more than 70
countries, will consider a new paper which urges the medical profession
to rally to oppose doping in sport and to censor any doctors involved
in doping.
The paper, published today, says that doping is now systematically
being used in the professional sports world. Significant abuse
is also occurring on the amateur level, often with even more dangerous
drugs.
It says that doctors who participate in doping are behaving unethically
and in some cases in a criminal manner. The argument that if physicians
did not involve themselves, athletes? health would be in greater
danger is spurious and unacceptable.
The paper, from the Danish Medical Association, says that physicians
and their professional associations must now take a leading role
in publicising information about the dangers in doping in sport
and assist in uncovering and prohibiting such misuse.
Dr Delon Human, secretary general of the World Medical Association,
said: "Physicians" involvement in trying to conceal
the use of drugs by means of pharmacological manipulation is totally
unethical. Doctors who assist cheating athletes to get away with
it are harming their patients.
The WMA has issued guidance on this subject in the past. In 1981
it adopted Principles of Health Care for Sports Medicine, revising
the document in 1987 and 1993.
"In the light of recent developments and the appearance
of new substances, it might be time for the WMA to reconsider
its position to see whether more explicit guidance should be established
for individual national medical associations."
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