Australians want sports drug use criminalised: survey

Updated March 24, 2012 12:53:43

A national survey has found more than half of Australians believe the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport should be treated as a criminal matter.

The joint research project by Canberra and Griffith Universities surveyed 2,500 people aged over 18 about their opinions on drugs in sport.

Researchers questioned people over the phone about anti-doping policies and what punishments should be given to drug takers.

Canberra University's Dr Terry Engelberg says the majority wanted police to be involved in future investigations of drugs in sport, such as steroids.

"Performance enhancing drug use is not criminalised in Australia at the moment, is not in any way," he said.

"But 54 per cent of our respondents believe that performance enhancing drug use should be criminalised, but not just criminalised - investigations should be conducted by police officers, instead of sporting bodies."

Dr Engelberg says respondents also said sporting clubs should face penalties as well.

"About two thirds of respondents also agreed that clubs should be penalised if one or more of their athletes were found to be using performance enhancing drugs."

Around 80 per cent of the people surveyed also said they think positive drug tests should be made public.

Topics: doping-in-sports, drugs-and-substance-abuse, drug-use, sport, australia

First posted March 24, 2012 11:30:50

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-24/australians-want-sports-drug-use-criminalised/3910158

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