Are sports stars who are caught taking illegal doping substances unfairly demonised?

The Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games have concluded, and the 2024 season of Australia's leading sporting bodies is drawing to a close. Many athletes will be celebrating well-deserved victories and mourning defeats.

While this is a happy occasion for most, some are likely to become embroiled in a drug scandal.

Many readers will remember the damning headlines during the Paris Olympics when Australian hockey player Tom Craig was arrested (and released without charge) for allegedly buying cocaine.

As the media surrounded the former Olympic silver medalist, Craig apologized before being sent home without Olympic privileges and later suspended from participating in the national team for twelve months.

Less than a week later, National Rugby League (NRL) star Latrell Mitchell found himself in similar trouble when a photo of him covered in white powder surfaced online.

Mitchell claimed he made “poor decisions” and has now been fined $40,000 and banned from playing for one game for damaging the reputation of the sport.

Doping in sports

When it comes to athletes and drugs, we usually think of steroids.

According to Sports Integrity Australia and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the use of these performance-enhancing drugs in athletes is prohibited.

For a drug to be placed on the banned list, it must meet two of the following three conditions: 1) It has the potential to enhance performance, 2) It has the potential to endanger the athlete's health, and 3) It violates the spirit of sport.

It is no surprise that drugs that give athletes a competitive advantage are banned.

Interestingly, illegal drugs such as cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) are also on WADA's banned list, although there is no convincing evidence that they can enhance athletic performance.

Read more: Why cocaine is considered a performance enhancer among athletes and why it matters when the athlete took it

Risk-takers and sensation seekers

Australia is a sport-mad nation and many of us celebrate the risk-taking and aggressiveness of our athletes.

So why are we surprised when these very behaviors – risk-taking and aggressiveness – can sometimes lead to drug use?

After decades of research, it is now becoming increasingly clear that risk-taking, aggressiveness and sensationalism – personality traits that define great athletes – are also linked to increased drug and alcohol consumption.

This connection is even more pronounced in men under 25 years of age.

There are many reasons why people – including athletes – take drugs.

Medications are often used not only to cope with the emotional pressure that can be extreme in professional sports, but also to relieve the pain that comes with physical injuries.

Some people turn to drugs and alcohol to manage their mental health. This is often referred to as the “self-medication hypothesis.” In fact, it has been shown that this often worsens mental health symptoms.

This also seems to be the case for the management of physical health.

In Australia, for example, chronic pain is the main reason people seek medical cannabis.

However, there is limited evidence that cannabis and other illicit drugs are effective in relieving pain in the long term.

Whether it is due to their personality, emotional pressure or their physical health, our sports stars are overall susceptible to the use of doping substances.

Social influences

The World Anti-Doping Code explicitly defines the “spirit of sport” as the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated perfection of each athlete’s natural talents.

That's a high bar to set, so it's no surprise that as a community we seem to be outraged when an athlete is “caught” not meeting those high expectations.

Maybe we need to better separate perfection in sport from perfection in character.

Many believe that these athletes are role models who should set a good example for young people.

It is true that social influence plays an important role in drug use among young people, but that does not mean that those we look up to are to blame.

Instead, we need to talk better with young people about drug use.

The most important thing is that this conversation is based on facts and does not contain any personal criticism or judgment.

What can be done?

The stigma of drug use can cause psychological stress and make the situation worse.

To ensure a trusting relationship, we need to communicate facts to young people.

In 2021-2022, almost half of all Australians aged 14 and over reported using illicit drugs, with most of them experiencing no health problems as a result of their use.

While the safest way to avoid harm from drugs is not to use them, the message “say no to drugs” does not work. In some cases, this strategy can even be harmful, particularly for those who use drugs and are denied support or treatment.

Everyone has the right to resources that can help them manage their drug use and well-being without prejudice.

It is vital that we equip young people with skills and strategies that will help them not only avoid drugs, but also make evidence-based decisions and minimise the risk of harm if they choose to use.

Why shouldn’t we show our athletes the same compassion and support?

For practical, evidence-based resources and further support, contact Positive Choices or the national alcohol and drug helpline: 1800 250 015.