CIVL Anti-doping Policy - No Doping in Air Sports!

(photo : Malbos/CIVL)

Background

The World Anti-Doping Code was adopted in Copenhagen in March 2003. It was drafted by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) in consultation with governments, national sports bodies, international sports federations and the International Olympic Committee.

The Code has since been adopted by most of the governments of countries where major FAI events are commonly held. A United Nations agency (UNESCO) has developed an international agreement, the effect of which is to make the WADA Code automatically applicable in all UN member countries.

Many international sports federations have also accepted the Code, including FAI (decisions of the FAI General Conference in Krakow, Poland, October 2003).

By accepting the Code, the FAI has agreed to develop rules and procedures that will give effect to the WADA anti-doping provisions. Draft rules and procedures, together with appropriate changes to the General Section of the FAI Sporting Code were adopted by the FAI Air Sport General Commission (CASI) in January 2004, for implementation on the 1st of April 2004.

Consequences for competitors and CIVL officials

The visible consequences of the change from the FAI’s previous anti-doping rules to the WADA Code are as follows :

• The list of banned substances will be the current WADA list, rather than the IOC list (which no longer exists). There have been a few changes to the substances included. Beta-blockers, alcohol and marihuana remain on the list. Any person who competes at international level MUST avoid consuming any of the prohibited substances. (The only exception is if the substance must be taken to treat an illness, and there is no permitted suitable substitute. In this case, the competitor must obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption).
• There could be an increase in the number of anti-doping controls carried out at CIVL-sanctioned competitions. Most of these will be conducted by national anti-doping agencies.
• At some unspecified future date, a very limited number of FAI competitors could become liable to out-of-competition testing.
  Otherwise, the anti-doping regime that has been in force for the last decade in FAI will continue much as before.

Competitors at international hang gliding and paragliding events will remain subject to anti-doping controls, as a result of decisions taken by national authorities.

Consumption of some substances, notably alcohol and marihuana, is incompatible with flight safety. Therefore, regardless of whether or not anti-doping controls are carried out at a competition, all CIVL officials (such as Stewards, Jury Members, Judges) have a duty to intervene and prevent any person whom they suspect to be under the influence of such intoxicating substances from flying.
This has nothing to do with WADA Code. It is just exercising the general responsibility for ensuring flight safety which every CIVL official automatically assumes.
It should be noted that obvious and debilitating illness would also be a reason to intervene and ground a competitor who did not have the good sense to remain on the ground.

All pilots should take the anti-doping rules very seriously, and abstain from prohibited substances.

CIVL opinion

CIVL condemns the use by competitors, in the misguided belief that they improve performance in the air, of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Such substances may degrade pilot performance and compromise flight safety. The activities, defined as "doping", are contrary to the FAI and CIVL's principles of fair play, and are potentially damaging to competitors health and safety.

In 2004, CIVL Plenary took note that the FAI General Conference accepted the WADA anti-doping Code by an overwhelming majority; expressed satisfaction that there would be no change in the long-established discretionary policy regarding the funding of anti-doping tests by FAI Commissions; and had confidence that FAI would negotiate with WADA an acceptable solution concerning the problem of out-of-competition testing.
CIVL required out-of-competition testing to apply equally to all FAI Air Sport Commissions.

Links

You will find on the web page of the FAI Medico-Physiological Commission a collection of links to pages which provide information on the subject. Note that FAI and CIVL uses the WADA list of prohibited substances valid at the moment of testing.