Current Situation and Measures to Promote Anti-Doping Activities in Japan

Abstract

  After the Ministry of Edcation, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan has ratified the UNESCO “International Convention Fight against Doping in Sport” in December 2006, the government increased its support to Anti-Doping activities. About 5 years ago, the total number of doping control samples a year in Japan was around 2000, and this number was not enough to demonstrate Japanese athletes' cleanness to the rest of the world. However, after the government's ratification of the UNESCO international convention, the government increased its support both financially and politically. By receiving the increased support from the government, testing number has increased and reached 5000 samples a year. 5 years ago, our target athletes range was only international level athletes who compete in the Olympics or international events. As we expanded our testing numbers, the target range of the athletes was also expanded and national level athletes also became our targets. As a result, athletes without having adequate knowledge about anti-doping regulations became our target. This situation caused inadvertent anti-doping rule violation cases. Most of those anti-doping rule violations were the result of taking over-the-counter medicines, etc. In order to cope with those inadvertent anti-doping rule violation problems, we, Japan Anti-Doping Agency launched “Sport Pharmacist Project” in cooperation with Japan Pharmaceutical Association. In this project, we provide anti-doping information/regulation to the pharmacists and make those pharmacists knowledgeable about the current anti-doping rules and regulations.