WADA adds cortisone to monitoring programme

The World Anti-Doping Agency has added out-of-competition use of glucocorticosteroids that include powerful anti-inflammatory medication cortisone, often taken as injection by injured cricketers, to its Monitoring Programme, along with nicotine.

Nicotine is one of several stimulants added to the Monitoring Programne along with the narcotics hydrocone and tramadol and out-of-competition use of glucocorticosteroids, WADA said in a media release from Montreal, Canada.

WADA has placed nicotine on its 2012 Monitoring Programme in order to detect potential patterns of abuse, though it said it was not the anti-doping agency's intention to target smokers.

It has been done to monitor the effects nicotine can have on performance when taken in oral tobacco products such as snus, WADA said about the decision taken by its Executive Committee earlier this month.

Under Article 4.5 of the WADA Code, the agency is mandated to establish a Monitoring Programme regarding substances which are not on the list of banned substances and methods, but which WADA wishes to monitor for detecting potential patterns of misuse.

WADA has removed Formoteral, a drug used in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), from its list of banned substances when inhaled at therapeutic dosages.

Taking into account recent research results and requests by members of the sports community, inhaled formoterol at therapeutic doses is no longer prohibited.

The WADA List prohibits the administration of all beta-2 agonists except salbutamol (maximum 1600 micrograms over 24 hours), salmeterol -- when taken by inhalation -- and now formoterol (maximum 36 micrograms taken over 24 hours), it explained.

The issue of beta-2 agonists will continue to be a focus of WADA's research activity in order to ensure that the administration of large doses or by systemic routes of these substances is prevented and prohibited, but that the appropriate care and treatment of asthmatic athletes is facilitated, WADA said.

Sailing and wrestling have also been removed from the list of sports, along with bobsleigh and skeleton, curling, modern pentathlon and motorcycling, that were included in the List in which beta-blockers are prohibited.

The new List of Prohibited Substances and Methods would come into force on January 1, 2012, the release added.