Doping and athletes--prevention and counseling

Doping in sports is an old problem. Development of modern techniques has made doping control possible for all drugs listed on the International Olympic Committee's list. A survey is given of the preventive measures ( antidoping ) that have been carried out in Norway since 1976. This comprises regular doping control (during competition and at random in the training period) and extensive information programs to change attitudes toward the use and misuse of drugs in sports. The basic principles of the antidoping campaign include upholding the ethics of sports, protection of athletes' health, and preservation of equal chances for all. The campaign is directed to the athletes, their coaches, and trainers as well as to the team physicians, the different sports federations , and the public. The decision to intensify the random controls for anabolic steroids in loaded sports has increased the number of positive results substantially. The concepts of the antidoping campaign are now widely acknowledged at the national level. Recommendations are given that the results of the Norwegian antidoping work should be distributed internationally.