Understanding and Managing Drugs in Sport

Abstract

This article addresses some social and management issues relating to the subject of drugs in sport (doping). It begins with an overview of recent and prominent cases before developing a comparative approach that sets doping against other forms of drug use in society. The outcomes and implications of this comparison establish the basis for a discussion of how doping might be dealt with by the relevant authorities. The concluding points show that interventions towards education and prevention face the challenges of understanding and responding to the highly specific nature of the elite athlete.