DRUG CONTROL POLICY

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The BDFPA is a self-financing organisation, including the funding of its drug testing programme. This programme is administered by a nationwide network of divisional sampling officers, who endeavour to conduct testing to the highest standards as approved by the IOC and WADA. We have total faith in the integrity and commitment of all our sampling officers, in the confidence that they share a common dedication to an effective testing programme and the provision of a level playing field in terms of drug-free competition. Lifters are selected for testing without fear or favour, and all are expected to comply fully with the testing process.

DRUG ABUSE

(1) Drug abuse is strictly forbidden and the BDFPA will ban for life any member found guilty of drug abuse, subject to a right of appeal as set out in the disciplinary rules.

(2) Drug abuse is the use by, or distribution to, a sportsman or sportswoman (the competitor) of any substance defined as banned by the BDFPA.

The identification of a substance and/or metabolites of a doping class in a competitor's urine or other sample will constitute an offence. Evidence of blood doping, pharmacological, chemical or physical manipulation may also be considered an offence which may be penalized.

(3) Any member or potential member must, at any time if requested by the BDFPA Drug Control Secretary or other designated official, submit to a drug test at a moment's notice. Refusal to do so or indulging in any behaviour considered by the Disciplinary Committee to be obstructive or lacking in co-operation prior to, during or following the giving of a urine sample or any other form of drug testing, will be considered a positive test.

The BDFPA membership form which must be completed and signed by all members, includes a drug covenant clearly stating that a member agrees to do everything in his or her power to enhance and ease the practical aspects of the testing procedure. As such, a member's responsibility to co-operate does not start and end with the giving of a urine sample.

(4) Any member found guilty of advising athletes or lifters on how to abuse drugs will be banned for life.

(5) If, on analysis by a reputable body, a urine sample is found to contain a substance banned by the BDFPA, or indicates the use of any agent which the BDFPA considers as constituting drug abuse, this will be regarded as a positive test and is grounds for a life ban. Under exceptional circumstances the taking of a banned drug may be considered by the Disciplinary Committee or National Council, following an appeal, not to constitute drug abuse.

(6) Banned substances are as detailed on the International Olympic Committee (IOC)/ W.D.F.P.F. list of banned substances, contained in the BDFPA Handbook. The BDFPA reserves the right to add to or subtract from this list any substance which it feels is relevant or irrelevant to what constitutes drug abuse.

(7) In the case of out of competition drug testing, the Disciplinary Committee willdecide what drugs or what dosage of any given drug, constitutes drug abuse, in consultation with an official IOC accredited drug control body. Similarly the Disciplinary Committee may decide that following an in or out of competition drug test, the taking of what may be considered an excessive amount of a non-banned substance, constitutes drug abuse.

(8) It is incumbent on all BDFPA members to check with the BPFPA Drug Control Secretary or UK Sport's 'Drug Information Database', whether any substance they may wish to ingest, is on the banned list. The use of products which can be legally purchased may in some cases, still lead to drug test failures (positive test results). Similarly, certain commercially available products described as 'nutritional supplements' may contain banned substances. Commercially available products are not exempt from the WDFPF list of banned substances.

Members are considered personally responsible for ensuring that any medications or nutritional supplements which they use do not contain substances banned by the WDFPF and BDFPA. As a general rule, a claim by a member failing a drug test that he/she did not know that they had ingested a banned substance - will not be regarded as a valid defence. Ignorance of what constitutes a banned substance will not normally be considered grounds for an appeal against a ban for a positive drug test.

(9) A list of suggested alternative medications (which do not contain banned substances) is maintained by UK Sport. Copies may be obtained from the Drug Control Secretary on request.

(10) Any lifter, official or coach found guilty of drug abuse and banned for life, will have all records, titles and performances removed retrospectively.

(11) All diabetics must inform the Drug Control Secretary of their condition so the BDFPA can test for insulin abuse. If a positive test for insulin is then recorded and the member has not informed the Drug Control Secretary, that member may be banned from the BDFPA for life. The BDFPA may also test for stimulants.

DRUG TESTING POLICY

(1) Drug testing shall be by urinalysis or any other method approved by the BDFPA, and wherever appropriate shall be conducted according to IOC/ WDFPF rules and procedure.

(2) Drug testing in competitions will be conducted as required. The testing of a minimum of 10% of the total number of competitors is mandatory at National or International competitions staged by the BDFPA.

(3) Drug testing out of competition will be conducted wherever and whenever this is considered necessary, and normally without any prior warning or notice to the individual concerned. Out of competition tests conducted at divisional level will be by arrangement with the Drug Control Secretary.