Demonising Ben Cousins

31 October 2007

Last month the media provided extensive details of the arrest and subsequent charging of the West Coast Eagles star Ben Cousins over the alleged possession of illegal drugs. Following a continuing stream of criticism from 'informed' commentators, the West Coast Eagles terminated his contract.

On the surface, it seemed like the right move. It wasn't the first time Cousins had been in trouble over drug-related allegations. Although he has never returned a positive test under the AFL's testing regime, at the beginning of the 2007 season he was suspended following admissions of using social drugs, and went to America for rehabilitation before returning to play out the 2007 season.

The October incident seemed to indicate Cousins was not reformed after all. But it wasn't that clear-cut.

The day after Cousins' sacking, the police announced they were dropping the charge that he had prohibited drugs in his possession. They acknowledged that some or most were designed to help him overcome depression and problems related to his previous social drug problems.

Talk about egg on your face — the Eagles, instead of punishing a villain, may have made a martyr of their troubled former star.

Virtually all sporting competitions have adopted codes against the use of drugs. They were originally adopted to prevent the use of performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids. The rationale for such bans is their negative health effects on all athletes, especially those at the bottom end of the food chain without access to sound 'medical' advice, and their usage involves a form of cheating.

But the technology developed for testing for performance enhancing drugs lags behind the ability of 'chemists' to find new drugs. On the other hand, when it comes to testing for social drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine — drugs that are not seen as performance enhancing — the technology is more efficient.

Some athletes, like other sections of the community, use social drugs. A drug policy designed to stop the use of performance enhancing drugs has been taken over by the baying of politicians and commentators against players using social drugs.

The Australian Football League (AFL) and Australian Football League Players Association (AFLPA) have negotiated a code to reduce the use of both types of drugs. It views drug taking as a medical problem, protects the identity of players who test positive for drug use and provides help and counselling for their rehabilitation.

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Demonising Ben Cousins

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