Canadian Anti-Doping Program

Sport Integrity Canada is the custodian of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), the set of rules that govern anti-doping in Canada. The CADP is a rigorous program that ensures the accountability and transparency of all aspects of anti-doping including medical exemptions, testing, results and appeals — all in compliance with the mandatory elements of the World Anti-Doping Code and all International Standards that address technical areas and the associated Technical Documents.

Check Your Medications - Global DRO

Some prescription and over-the-counter medications are prohibited in sport. Medications can be prohibited in-competition, out-of-competition, or in particular sports. Carefully check the status of any medication you consume to ensure that it won’t result in a positive test. Global DRO is an online database that allows you to quickly find information on the status of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Global DRO is brought to you through a partnership between UK Anti-Doping, the United States Anti-Doping Agency, Swiss Sport Integrity, and Sport Integrity Canada.

The Prohibited List

The Prohibited List is an international standard that identifies substances and methods that are prohibited in sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is responsible for the preparation and publication of the Prohibited List, which it updates every year effective January 1. Athletes should be aware of the classes of substances that are on the Prohibited List, and should be careful to check the status of any medication they consume to ensure that it won’t result in a positive test.

World Anti-Doping Code

The World Anti-Doping Code (Code) is the core document that harmonizes anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities around the world. It works in conjunction with eight International Standards which aim to foster consistency among anti-doping organizations in various areas.

Supplements

Supplements are sometimes referred to as nutritional/dietary supplements or natural health products. They are not classified as food or drugs and are not covered by the Canadian Food and Drugs Act. There is no way of guaranteeing that any supplement or natural health product is completely safe. Ultimately, athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance that may be found in their sample; this is known as strict liability. If athletes who use supplements test positive for a prohibited substance, this can result in a violation, regardless of how the prohibited substance got into their body. Serious sanctions may be imposed.

Unlike foods and medications, the supplement industry is subject to little government regulation making it impossible for Sport Integrity Canada to confirm whether or not a supplement contains prohibited substances. Sport Integrity Canada refers members of the Canadian sport community to the NSF International Certified for Sport Program which helps minimize the risk of unintentional doping. NSF International's Certified for Sport laboratory testing services help clients establish product stewardship by confirming content and purity, compliance, and assessing public safety and environmental concerns on products used by athletes.

Cannabis In Sport

It is important to remember that in the world of sport, there is no debate - cannabis is on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. The Prohibited List is an international standard of the World Anti-Doping Code that is not affected by the changes in Canadian law that legalized recreational cannabis.

While Sport Integrity Canada does not view cannabis as particularly performance-enhancing, they do have anecdotal accounts of athletes using it therapeutically with the intent to improve performance or recovery by managing pain, stress, or anxiety. While cannabis has therapeutic uses, habitual use or abuse presents the potential for harm, especially for younger athletes. Impairment during competition presents a liability to the safety of the athlete and their competitors. Finally, given that cannabis is prohibited in competition, Sport Integrity Canada encourage athletes to demonstrate respect for their teammates, their opponents, and their sport by competing clean, clear, and sober.

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of testosterone that users inject, ingest or apply to their skin in order to increase the amount of testosterone in their bodies. Testosterone from anabolic steroids, in addition to someone’s natural production, may alter appearance and/or could help enhance physical strength and power. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List stipulates that anabolic steroids are prohibited for use by athletes at all times.

The use and/or possession of steroids reflects a blatant attempt at cheating and can be penalized with a standard four-year sanction by WADA, an International Federation or a National Anti-Doping Organization. Sanctions are imposed on athletes and/or athlete support personnel in order to protect the integrity of sport. A sanctioned athlete or athlete support personnel cannot train, practice or compete with their teams or be involved in any capacity with a sport organization or club (e.g. coaching). Sanctions are made public and permanently documented, which can affect the athlete’s future involvement and participation in sport. It can also affect the person’s ability to pursue certain career paths (e.g. law enforcement).