On the heels of Germany’s law now rendering athletic doping criminal, the country of Japan is also considering similar legislation to discourage doping in sports in light of its hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Under Germany’s new law, athletes testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs or are found guilty of possession of such substances can face prison terms of up to 3 years. Additionally, suppliers of the substances can face up to 10 years in jail themselves.
The Japanese government is said to soon be forming a panel of medical and legal professionals aimed at creating content of a potential anti-doping law, complete with hearings to be held with entities within Japan’s sporting sector. The government is targeting fall of 2016 as the timeframe in which the bill would be submitted; a bill which is being described by those close to the process as “as strict as possible.” The Japanese government is said to be wanting to take an unquestionably strong stance against doping as host of the 2020 Games.
As with other nations with the criminalization of athletic doping already in effect, such as Spain and France, legislative advocates will need to determine exactly how far the law will reach in terms of professional and amateur sporting leagues, as well as how to implement potential punishment for the suppliers of the banned substances.
As with Germany’s law, Japan’s action is seen as a proactive measure taken in light of the recent scandals involving Russian athletes, which has sent shock waves throughout international sporting bodies and federations.
Their athletes have been pretty much clean for the Olympics and Paralympics though. I don’t remember any of their athletes being tested positive, not just in swimming, but for other sports as well. Is it necessary to put them in jail instead of banning them from sports?
Danson – I agree that you don’t hear about it a ton, but there’s a few. The winner of the Nagoya Marathon and 12th-place finisher in Atlanta had a positive test once. There’s been a few martial artists who have as well. American fans might remember Yusaku Iriki, who played in the Mets’ minor league system and was hit with a 50 game ban in 2006 for doping.