The World Anti-Doping Agency has released the list of banned substances for athletes coming into force in 2017. The list was approved by the Executive Committee on Sep. 21 and comes into force on starting January 2017.
The WADA list designates what substances and methods are prohibited both in- and out-of-competition and name of banned substances in particular sports.
The agency has added a drug used for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and eating disorders to its catalog of banned drugs.
WADA banned substance list is one of five International Standards that are mandatory for all signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) to follow. Last year, meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited substance list and several athletes later tested positive for the drug.
This year also it remained on the WADA list. The meldonium drug had resulted in a two-year ban for Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova who tested positive for it earlier this year. As per Sharapova, she had been taking meldonium since 2006 for health reasons and was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it only by the name mildronate.
"All athletes around the world are held to these standards and there can be no tolerance for people who intentionally break the rules," said WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie.The annual revision process of banned substance list is led by WADA, beginning with an initial meeting in January and concluding with the publication of the list by 1 October.
However, WADA mentioned in its press release, that for athletes who have a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance or method that is on the List, they can be accommodated via the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE), which has overwhelming acceptance from athletes, physicians and anti-doping stakeholders worldwide.
As of today, the list of 2017 prohibited drugs can be found here.
