CAMS and anti-doping

[legend]

Cams are no longer authorised to issue TUE (Therapudic Use Exemptions) for banned substances. 'I got a letter'*. I would like to point out some of the errors in fact in that letter, and also raise some questions relating to the CAMS anti-doping policy.

1. WADA is a voluntary code. sports are not 'required to comply' as the letter states. CAMS opts in by way of its anti-doping policy.

2. CAMS are no longer able to issue TUEs - instead they have to come from the ASDMAC. the letter states that TUEs are valid for one year. That's not the case. I know someone who has one for Asthma, which states that he is required to use asthma medication "for life".

Question: Will this TUE still be valid now that CAMS is not authorised to issue them?

3. CAMS are entirely and solely responsible for issuing and adjudicating on fines and suspensions. surely an "athlete" who is drug tested and found to be cheating by using asthma medication, (the bastards!) and doesn;t have a TUE would front a tribunal who would issue a $1 fine and 1 minute suspension, would they not. not the "12 months for first offence" mentined in the letter.

4. I assume that now that CAMS are not issuing the TUEs, Licenses will not be held up waiting for them as has always (unnecessarily) been the case. Yet the license form still clearly states that "some medications will require a TUE ....." which strongly indicates to me that they will not issue a license until you get one. The fact that CAMS think they cannot issue a license until this is signed off, exists purely in their own internal policy. I know someone who had to produce a letter from ASDMAC to prove to CAMS that withholding licenses is NOT WADA policy.

5. why should an asthmatic have to go to a doctor every year, (at a personal time and cost penalty) produce documents, wait for ADSMAC to return a TUE, just to get a license - or in fact to drive a motor car at all? has this ever been tested in an anti-discrim tribunal or court?

6. Does AASA subscribe to the WADA code? (read 'make customers go through all htis crapola')

* one for the Monty Python fans.

[Marcus]

What on earth does that all mean? Not being smart, I genuinely didnt understand 3/4 of it or the implications.

[legend]

Originally Posted by Marcus

What on earth does that all mean? Not being smart, I genuinely didnt understand 3/4 of it or the implications.

you're not supposed to. like 99% of CAMS customers we are supposed to blindly sign our contracts with them without actually understanding what we sign.

a short Glossary of terms might help:

WADA wolrd anti doping agency
ASDMAC - Australian Sports drug medical advisory committee.

Wada made a code. it says 'these drugs should be banned:...' sports governing bodies and rule makers have the right to accept the code if they wish, and implement it in any way they see fit. They do this by stating in their rules that they accept the code. In the CASE of CAMS its in the manual. (I'd say that means that CAMS own the IP to the WADA code of course )

ASDMAC is the aust govt organisation set up to administer the WADA code, and specifically provide advisory services to sporting aministrators.

CAMS is an organisation who pays consultants to write the most complex rules they possibly can to the exclusion of all common sense.

So the upshot of all this is that Asthmatics (and loads of other legal drug users) have to visit a doctor every year and shuffle loads of unnecessary paperwork every year before CAMS will issue them a license to do anything.

And BTW, this includes officials. the CAMS definition of "athlete" includes officials.

[Marcus]

I think I preferred it when i didnt understand. At least I could just give a dumb look.

That's just screwed up for club motorsport.

[DaveTrees]

My understanding is that CAMS signing up to WADA standards & adopting their code is a condition of various Federal funding that they get (could be wrong though).

It isn't something new ... been around for a few years now.

[legend]

Originally Posted by DaveTrees

My understanding is that CAMS signing up to WADA standards & adopting their code is a condition of various Federal funding that they get (could be wrong though).

It isn't something new ... been around for a few years now.

you're right. it is about the money. I don't have a problem with that. what i have a problem with is how CAMS defines its policy in a number of areas: (none of these rules are hand-me-downs from WADA - they are all CAMS work)

* The definition of 'athlete' (could exclude sub national levels and officials)
* Administration of penalties etc. testing regimes etc.
* Linking the code to licensing. (how many sports do that?) makes it hard for the sake of making it hard. unnecessary and iregular.

[Marcus]

Why are CAMS bothering with attaching it to licencing when there's no such thing as a drug test in rallying anyway?

[Factor]

We have had the testers at the end of RAlly Q on at least two occassions Marcus

[Kaptainballistik]

The Ventolin issue comes back to the fact a "Healty" person will get a very slight advantage by using it.

My Doctor comments apon it every year because its not like im suddenly not going to need it!

[smee]

I thought there was a list of banned, but allowed (in certain doses) medications. If you were found to be above the level / dosage, then the rulings would come into play.

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by legend

you're right. it is about the money. I don't have a problem with that. what i have a problem with is how CAMS defines its policy in a number of areas: (none of these rules are hand-me-downs from WADA - they are all CAMS work)

* The definition of 'athlete' (could exclude sub national levels and officials)
* Administration of penalties etc. testing regimes etc.
* Linking the code to licensing. (how many sports do that?) makes it hard for the sake of making it hard. unnecessary and iregular.

Ahh yes Matt you are quite the athlete.

Are you going to be down here before Lithgow for a seat fitting?

[Nick]

My dad/nav is a recipeint of a transplanted liver and as such takes anit-rejection drugs, which include some nominal amount of steroids. This gives him/us a massive competition advantage in terms of holding onto the (potentially heavy ~ 500g) road book on rough roads, and not getting fatigued by ticking calls off and making notes and stuff.

This picture explains it.

[Factor]

Thats very funny!

[Martino]

I am still trying to see the issue here
Rather than dealing with CAMS your dealing with ASDMAC
meaning:
1) You don't have to worry about CAMs giving you wrong misleading information.
2) If you partaking in multiple sports you don't have to work about getting multiple TUE
3) You don't have to worry about CAMS or who ever not forwarding your TUE to ASDMAC

anyway
World Anti-Doping Agency
is always a fun read and if your sporting activity wants a chance of any government funding (right down to amateur level) you pretty much have to comply with their guidelines.

[vkdude]

dealt with all this for 4 years when my son was on Ritalin and also a junior. Letters from specialist (managed to line up appointments with renewal dates, but the first year trying to convince the specialist he was allowed in to drive in club events at 14 was worse than anything cams threw at me), send to Cams they send to the doctor for the relevant state, he sends it back and then his licence was issued. The best it ever took for a licence was 1 month after its renewal date(about 2 months). Must say that during this time Geoff Weir at Cams was a fantastic help.
If it was to happen again I would just keep my mouth shut.