Drug Use in Sport: An Issue of Doping Context?

Stoffel, Bertrand; Stoffel, Bertrand

Drug policy in sports, commonly referred to as anti-doping policy, is a controversial and multifaceted topic. In a unique regulatory collaboration between the sport movement and public authorities, anti-doping policy prohibits the use of drugs that are deemed to be performance-enhancing, as well as recreational drugs. Traditionally, the system has relied on creating awareness for health-related dangers, as well as a test and sanction system to deter athletes from using prohibited drugs. Recent research suggests that testing is not sufficient to achieve compliance with the rules, and that a more comprehensive approach is needed, engaging the development of a moral community of athletes.

This paper empirically explores opportunities to strengthen compliance with anti-doping rules. It uses data drawn from a factorial vignette survey that was examine environmental and individual-level factors associated with drug use in sport. The survey was administered to a unique sample of young elite athletes participating at the Youth Olympic Games in January 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland (n = 361). Each participant was asked to read a short scenario that depicted an athlete using a prohibited substance, and to rank how likely it was that they would act like the athlete described in the scenario. Early results show that perceived deterrence and perceived health dangers are unrelated to doping propensity. Instead, respondents doping propensity is related to pressure to dope as well as the severity of the doping behaviour. This indicates a necessity to adapt the anti-doping system to contextual factors.

Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Panel Paper: Drug Use in Sport: An Issue of Doping Context?

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