Jan 14 2009
MLB Players Abuse Amphetamine Exemptions to Enhance Performance
A new venue has been opened by baseball in its drug testing program, by stating that fourteen of its players have been found positive for amphetamine use. On the other hand, attention deficit disorder incidences have also risen. With this the therapeutic use exemption for the drug for ADD, with an active amphetamine component, has also increased.
The released numbers came in the wake of the recommendations by George Mitchell on the use of steroids and performance enhancing drug in the sport. Transparency, as written by Mitchell was key and this can be done through the release of records.
The increased number of positive results for amphetamine use is significant for baseball, but it never did release numbers for this prior to the investigations conducted. This made reviewing stimulant use impossible to do. Only in 2006 was testing done and despite such there were light sanctions imposed nor were the players identified in the released reports. Players, in anonymity, were required counseling for first time offenders and second time offenders were meted twenty-five game suspensions.
Only two players have tested twice and have been subsequently suspended. These are Neifi Perez and Mike Cameron. Two others, Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds have been found to be positive once but these results have been disputed.
The exemptions, which were for medical grounds, have arisen as a cause for concern at the Congressional hearings. There was a clear jump from 28 for 2006 to 103 in 2007. This has lead to a conclusion that in order to obviate the ban on amphetamine use, the medical use exemption, using attention deficit order as the cause, may be the way to breach the amphetamine ban. Medication like Ritalin and Adderall has active amphetamine ingredients. MLB has stated that it would tighten exemption guidelines and grant more authority to Bryan Smith, the testing program administrator for MLB.
In contrast, 106 players have been granted the sought exemptions. This is eight percent of the total number of players. In the regular population, the condition presents itself only between one and three and a half percent, in data collated from the National Institute of Mental Health. This is still disputed, as many cases go unreported. The obvious undermine the facts. Many of the applicants last year were also the applicants this year. Also, as data provided by Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive vice president for employee relations, the growing number of teams also means a growing base line and the changing players make the population active. The increase is but normal and there were far fewer therapeutic use exemptions compared to the previous year.
In the House Sub Committee on Oversight and Governmental Reform, John Tierney lead the concern for the therapeutic use exemptions issued in its volume. This was seconded by Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Sub-Committee, but lauded the efforts put in by baseball officials on the matter.
Initially, the League had second thoughts about releasing these numbers. Finally, they saw the release as a performance enhancement move. This move they now see leads to more transparency and credibility. In the end, the goal of eradicating cheats leads the decision for full disclosure.
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