Professional gaming league to implement anti-PED policy in wake of Adderall use

[Shawn Knight]

Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are most often associated with physically demanding sports – baseball or mixed martial arts, for example – where increased strength would directly lead to a competitive advantage.

As it turns out, the use of PEDs is also a concern in competitive gaming – a bit ironic considering many people still don’t view eSports as a true sport.

Professional gaming company Electronic Sports League (ESL) has partnered with German-based Nationale Anti-Doping Agentur (NADA) to create an anti-doping policy that it says is fair, feasible and respects the privacy of gamers whilst simultaneously providing conclusive testing results.

The ESL said the growing visibility and popularity of eSports as well as increased prize pools make it not only more tempting for teams and players to break the rules, but also more damaging to the sport as a whole when they do.

The ESL said it is also reaching out to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to help enforce and spread its anti-PED policy to other regions including Asia, Australia and the US.

The policy comes as a result of recent statements made by processional Counter-Strike player Kory “SEMPHIS” Friesen. In an interview with Motherboard, Friesen said he and other members of team Cloud9 used the psychostimulant Adderall during a recent gaming tournament.

The prescription drug is typically prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It’s comprised of amphetamines that are known to increase stamina, endurance and reaction time. Due to these performance-enhancing properties, the drug is banned at most major sporting events at the collegiate, national and international levels.

The ESL has yet to produce a list of banned substances and penalties for those caught doping. More information on the matter is expected soon although the ESL said it will administer random drug tests at its upcoming ESL One Cologne tournament next month.

Images courtesy Helena Kristiansson

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/61491-professional-gaming-league-implement-anti-ped-policy-wake.html

 

[Guest]

So they're trying to ban a prescription drug that some of these kids may actually need in their daily lives? good luck with that lol. are all narcoleptic players banned now? you may as well tell me I can't chug a rockstar or red bull before the games begin too. stupid.....

 

[Guest]

Think he was a professional game player not a processional=a piece of music that is played during a procession.

 

[Guest]

People need adderall like they need meth. What they really need is an *** whoopin.

 

[davislane1]

So they're trying to ban a prescription drug that some of these kids may actually need in their daily lives? good luck with that lol. are all narcoleptic players banned now? you may as well tell me I can't chug a rockstar or red bull before the games begin too. stupid.....

If big money is involved (and it increasingly is) it is a guarantee that they will attempt to suppress Adderall usage among participants. It is used to treat cognitive disorders, yes, but gives a significant edge to anyone with a normal brain chemistry. I briefly took a similar prescription med during my freshman year of university and my level of focus increased to comic book levels (could study 16hrs straight w/o so much as noticing the time). Toss that and ludicrous amounts of caffeine into a gaming tournament and you might as well be competing against bots.

 

[Puiu]

I'm surprised they didn't do this sooner.

 

[Jamesbrah]

I'm surprised they didn't do this sooner.

Who says they haven't been?

 

[Guest]

Exactly dude. they gonna ban a prescription needed by some of these people to normalise themselves?
I hope someone goes into diabetic shock on stage because of chugging back 3 bottles of Dew Kick-start because they shouldn't give him insulin while he's seizuring, it makes them less lethargic and seizury therefore giving them an advantage than if they didn't have it.
BAN MLG INSULIN

 

[mctommy]

Exactly dude. they gonna ban a prescription needed by some of these people to normalise themselves?
I hope someone goes into diabetic shock on stage because of chugging back 3 bottles of Dew Kick-start because they shouldn't give him insulin while he's seizuring, it makes them less lethargic and seizury therefore giving them an advantage than if they didn't have it.
BAN MLG INSULIN

Stupidest post ever. Taking insulin doesn't improve a normal person's hand-eye coordination, reaction time, or brain function so they wouldn't care less... hence why they have listed the drugs.

It's like saying "the NFL is banning drugs, I hope someone goes into diabetic shock on the field because of chugging back 3 bottles of Dew Kick-start because they shouldn't give him insulin while he's seizuring, it makes them less lethargic and seizury therefore giving them an advantage than if they didn't have it".

 

[Guest]

2 all those guest trolls:
yes, narcoleptic players or prescription users should be banned, if you dont have health you dont do sports or eSports
the whole point of sports is to be fair, if you take drugs for (insert reason) its not really fair towards other people
they should make their own league, like people with physical disabilities

P.S. waiting for waiting press sensations about female players discrimination in esports, as there are less of them than males

 

[Hexic]

Exactly dude. they gonna ban a prescription needed by some of these people to normalise themselves?
I hope someone goes into diabetic shock on stage because of chugging back 3 bottles of Dew Kick-start because they shouldn't give him insulin while he's seizuring, it makes them less lethargic and seizury therefore giving them an advantage than if they didn't have it.
BAN MLG INSULIN

You're an *****. They won't ban prescribed medications. Just like everywhere else. Go troll elsewhere.

 

[Peter Farkas]

How can I get rid of that HUGE HP ad?? I cant close it and it does not disappear so I cant read the headlines and it also opens in articles too. Very annoying and disappointing....
Techspot pls fix that.

 

[GeekGirl1515]

So they're trying to ban a prescription drug that some of these kids may actually need in their daily lives? good luck with that lol. are all narcoleptic players banned now? you may as well tell me I can't chug a rockstar or red bull before the games begin too. stupid.....

You have to realize that these drugs act differently on people that NEED to take them. I am one of those people. I can drink a Rockstar and fall asleep. I can take Adderall and fall asleep as well. Those without certain conditions will become wired and not able to sleep. Also, don't lump all gamers as kids. I'm no spring chicken at 42...

 

[Guest]

Also, don't lump all gamers as kids. I'm no spring chicken at 42...

Lies! Don't you know that everyone on the internets is 14?
/sarcasm

 

[Squid Surprise]

Once big prize money comes into play, you can NOT treat this as a "game" any more - it is a BUSINESS.... and therefore, rules need to be enforced.

If you are one of the few people who actually NEED a certain banned drug, then sorry, you can't participate.... doesn't sound fair, but that's the way it HAS to be - otherwise you compromise the entire framework and the "sport" collapses.

Look at baseball - for decades, players used performance enhancing substances - stimulants, caffeine, steroids, etc... Baseball looked the other way, and watched their treasured records get smashed....

With BILLIONS of dollars at stake, baseball decided to crack down (and pushed a tad by the US Senate) - whether or not it's too late is a matter for others to debate - and while players are almost certainly still cheating (you can never eliminate cheating 100%), the public perception is that there is once again a level playing field.

You can't expect people to fork over big money for tickets, merchandize, etc to watch people cheat...

With the slow rise of eSports, it was only a matter of time before they did the same.