Usage of recreational drugs is widespread among surfers

Anabolic steroids are utilized by surfers too. Sport governing body claims that prohibited medicines are a great problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals decided to implicate testing for anabolic steroids and other forbidden products which are administrated for performance-enhancing effects.
The Association of Surfing Professionals had some discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could implicate testing for prohibited preparations into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is considered to be the best policy, the surfing organization wants to apply this protocol. Undoubtedly, this is the next victory of the WADA which induces the opportunity to manage anti-doping programs in sports.
Everybody knows that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are main skills which induce winning. Thus, surfers could believe that usage of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs contributes in success greatly. It is also necessary to take in consideration that amount of money which is got by winners is large. Winners receive no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to obtain money could lead surfers to decision to take anabolic steroids.
Nonetheless, it is said that intake of anabolic steroids and other preparations that enhance performance is not widespread in surfing. Numerous individuals believe that administration of recreational drugs is more widespread among surfers than administration of steroids. Sport of 1970s and 1980s was oftan associated with marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Current facts support this impression. The number of surfers who are caught using marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine is quite increased.
The professional surfer Andi Irons died in November 2010. A heart attack that he had was caused by drug abuse. It was determined that steroids hadn’t been implicated in this fatal case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his body.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. Increased levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for Anthony Ruffo, another professional surfer, he was caught distributing meth.
Only Neco Padaratz, a professional surfer from Brazil, was caught administrating steroids. He was banned for one year. This person tested positive for prohibited products in 2004. This person confirmed that he had used these medicines to get a full recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was banned. He was the first individual that was caught administrating steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to numerous sources, he remains to be the only surfer who has ever been caught by the ASP.
The ASP has already the primary budget for introduction of the WADA anti-doping program into surfing.
Although it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new drug-testing program can create a wrong public perception.