In 2012, 44% of doping cases were classed as unintentional.
Unintentional doping is when an athlete or Athlete Support Personnel (Coach, Sport Scientist or Parent) breaks an anti-doping rule violation unintentionally. This could be taking medication or supplements without checking if it contains a banned substance or because ‘they didn’t know’
Whether an athlete broke an anti-doping rule intentionally or unintentionally, they can still face a ban of up to 4 years from their sport depending on the severity.
UK Anti- Doping (UKAD) ‘100% me’ is a values-based education programme specifically designed for athletes to educate them about the risks of anti-doping throughout their career to help them make informed decisions at all times.
What can we do?
For athletes: download the ‘100% me Clean Sport’ App and check out the Athlete Zone on the UKAD website. There are so many great resources available to help educate athletes.
For coaches: Check out the UKAD website and complete the ‘Coach Clean’ course to learn more about the effect that anti-doping has on your sport. Encourage your athletes to download the app or ask if they have any questions
For parents: Encourage your child to stick to the 100& me guidelines. For more information check out the parents section of the UKAD website
In addition;
Check out the UK Anti Doping twitter account for the latest news
Check out the guidelines of around anti-doping on your National Governing Body website such as the RFU for rugby union players or British Swimming for swimmers.
With changes in educational programmes and more information available to athletes, a 2018 study found that unintentional doping cases in the UK had reduced to 25%.