Dr. Kenneth Louisy. Photo credit: Anthony Debeauville
High school students are being advised on why it’s not wise to use illegal drugs or performance enhancers if they want to be successful sports men and women.
An anti-doping campaign is ongoing across the island with a series of public awareness programmes. The most recent took place at the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School Campus last Wednesday, with just over 200 students attending.
Topics covered included the definition of doping in sport, why athletes use performance enhancing drugs (PED’s), the dangers of using PED’s, the list of prohibited substances and methods and the doping control process.
The facilitators were doping control officers Gregory Lubin and Dr. Kenneth Louisy, a member of the board of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) as well as doping education officer, Dr. Vernetta Lesporis.
The session was held at the request of the school’s teachers after they attended the UNESCO Regional Anti-Doping Project for Physical Education teachers and coaches facilitated by RADO last year on island.
VFCSS is the island’s largest secondary school, with over 1000 students at two campuses.
The use of drugs to enhance performance is considered unethical by most international sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. The use of banned performing-enhancing drugs in sports is commonly referred to as doping. The reasons for the ban are mainly the health risks of performance-enhancing drugs, the equality of opportunity for athletes, and the exemplary effect of drug-free sport for the public.