It is doubted that steroids represent a problem for surfing

Anabolic steroids are administrated by surfers too. Sport governing body confirms that forbidden substances are a significant problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals made a decision to implicate testing for anabolic steroids and other prohibited drugs that are used for enhancement of performance.
The Association of Surfing Professionals led certain discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could introduce testing for prohibited products into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is claimed to be the best policy, the surfing organization intends to use this protocol. It goes without saying that this is the next victory of the WADA that promotes the opportunity to manage anti-doping programs in sports.
Everyone knows that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are principal abilities that induce winning. Thus, surfers could decide that intake of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs influences on success greatly. It is also important to take in consideration that amount of money which is got by winners is large. Winners get no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to obtain money could lead surfers to decision to take anabolic steroids.
Nonetheless, it is said that administration of anabolic steroids and other products which cause performance-enhancing effects is not widespread in surfing. Many people believe that application 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 justify this impression. The number of surfers who are caught using marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine is quite enhanced.
Andi Irons, a professional surfer, died in November 2010. A heart attack that he had was caused by drug abuse. It was defined that steroids hadn’t been implicated in this case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his system.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. High levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for the professional surfer Anthony Ruffo, he was caught distributing meth.
Only the professional surfer from Brazil Neco Padaratz was caught taking steroids. He received a one-year ban. This person tested positive for banned medicines in 2004. This surfer claimed that he had administrated these preparations to receive a full recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was sentenced to a ban. He was the first individual who was caught taking steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to numerous reports, he remains to be the only surfer that has ever been caught by the ASP.
The ASP has already the primary budget to introduce the WADA anti-doping program into surfing.
While it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new anti-doping program may create a wrong public impression.