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Subject: Re: Competition -- the downward spiral

Author: David Blackman

Date: 03:57:55 12/31/99

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On December 31, 1999 at 02:46:56, Michael Cummings wrote:

>We need to get a standard of drug list as to what is performance enhancing and
>what is not.

The whole drugs in sport thing is just getting too silly. The pharmaceutical
companies are making huge profits selling the stuff to athletes, then more huge
profits selling testing equipment and supplies to sporting organisations. I
wouldn't be surprised if it's pharmaceutical companies' lobbying that is driving
the whole controversy.

The latest silliness is that FIDE is recommending that all national chess bodies
start drug testing. The Australian Chess Federation is currently trying to find
out what drugs are supposed to be banned for chess. Probably they will start
testing as soon as they find out.

What this means for me as a 1500 rated occasional tournament player is that my
membership fees would go up to pay for the testing, and i could get a knock on
the door any time for out of competition drug testing, search of my flat for
suspicious substances etc.

What's worse is that i've taken quite a few of the drugs that are banned for
other sports, and will probably be banned for chess. And depending on future
health problems, i might have to take them again in future. Banned drugs for
other sports include pseudo-ephedrine (the active ingredient in many cough
medicines), just about any asthma treatment (i have asthma), alcohol (so why not
just a total ban on Australians?), and a huge list of stuff i've never heard of
that could easily be in my doctor's prescriptions, or even food, for all i know.

So if they start drug testing for chess, i'll stop competing. At least they're
not drug testing computer programs yet, so i can keep working on my program.



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