How clean is snooker?

[Littlesense]

They were recently looking at drug testing out of season as this hasnt been the case and new rules were going to be brought in for this season, Im not up to date on if this has happened yet. Other wise players would be tested during the season and even then it would mainly be the finalists which in my mind isnt enough at all.
I think it is an area that they are trying to improve on but at the moment seems to be a little out of date and touch, a player could really use anything during the summer break and as long as they get their dates right could hide any drug from their system before the new season.
Really if you look at the bigger picture its not just about performance inhancing its all about the other risks such as players health, unwanted people that this brings in around the sport which in turn can lead to other problems such as match fixing. You have just got to take a look at the problems that it brings into our society and then you can work out what damge it can cause to the smaller community which is snooker.

[matoski]

Why is marijuana considered as doping? It can only ruin players confidence and make him paranoic. It can't improve players game for sure. The amphetamines and cocaine are a different issue. I guess they can help remove the stress and pressure.

[doorag]

Wasn't O'Sullivan taking beta blockers during the 2004 worlds. I'm not entirely sure, doe's anyone else know if he was?

I think he was on anti-depressents.

[Teresa]

I think he was on anti-depressents.

Ronnie was being prescribed prozac in 2001 when he won his first world championship as is well documented

[doorag]

Ronnie was being prescribed prozac in 2001 when he won his first world championship as is well documented

Oh sorry you're right. Got the years mixed up.

[hegeland]

http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/d...STATS_2005.pdf

I would really love to see BBC bring this up during one of the tournaments.

Not likely, I admit, as the unhealthy realtionship between the BBC and WSA doesn't exactly encourage any journalism worth its name.

[Littlesense]

Any drug would have good and bad points around using it concerning perfomance inhancing especially if you are used to taking it and feel the need to take it to feel normal. Obviously the most usefull thing about using a drug within snooker would be to dampen nerves or anxiety, cannabis would relax you, amphetamines and cocaine are stimulants so would act in a differant way making you feel wired, awake and highten your senses but you gain a loss of nerves also. cocaine doesnt last as long so cocaine in its usual powder form would have to be used regularly. any opiate based drug would also make you feel spaced out but again would help with nerves like a good dose of codiene. many would say that the advantages of using drugs as a performance inhancer far out way the negatives (if they were allowed) thats why people have tried to get away with using them. so to say that they arnt an aid is silly.

[Semih_Sayginer]

They were recently looking at drug testing out of season as this hasnt been the case and new rules were going to be brought in for this season, Im not up to date on if this has happened yet. Other wise players would be tested during the season and even then it would mainly be the finalists which in my mind isnt enough at all.
I think it is an area that they are trying to improve on but at the moment seems to be a little out of date and touch, a player could really use anything during the summer break and as long as they get their dates right could hide any drug from their system before the new season.
Really if you look at the bigger picture its not just about performance inhancing its all about the other risks such as players health, unwanted people that this brings in around the sport which in turn can lead to other problems such as match fixing. You have just got to take a look at the problems that it brings into our society and then you can work out what damge it can cause to the smaller community which is snooker.

any more info about testing out of season?