Tiger Woods, All Major Athletes Should be Tested Equally for Drugs, says Former ONDCP Spokesman Bob Weiner

WASHINGTON, May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former White House Drug Policy Spokesman Robert Weiner and Yusuf Hassan, a Senior Policy Analyst at Robert Weiner Associates, have called for professional golf superstar Tiger Woods and all major athletes to be tested for drugs in an op-ed in the Charlotte Observer.

"At the White House last month, we asked Apolo Anton Ohno, the eight-time Olympic medalist speed skater if sports like baseball and golf should have the same stringent drug testing as the Olympics and if athletes like Tiger Woods should be tested. Ohno replied that 'as athletes, we should all be held to the same standards. It would make sense to have one unified body testing everyone,'" Weiner and Hassan say.

The authors point to Woods' ties to Dr. Anthony Galea, "a Canadian doctor who is being investigated by the FBI and Canadian authorities for smuggling sports-banned human growth hormone (HGH) and Actovegin, also a performance aide."

While noting that "virtually every professional athlete busted for drug use has first denied or tried to technically distort the reality of his or her drug abuse," Weiner and Hassan observe: "These developments do not inevitably link Woods to the use of HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs."

They continue: "The Woods publicist's statement is that Galea visited Woods' Florida home to conduct a cutting-edge treatment known as platelet-rich plasma therapy at least four times last year. At the time, Woods was recovering from a knee injury."

The co-authors highlight one of the professional leagues where effective an anti-drug policy has produced positive results: "A model for effectiveness is USA Track & Field – the premier Olympic sport which has no holds barred on busts, even when involving world champions and record holders."

Weiner and Hassan conclude: "The only way to prevent doping is effective testing with severe consequences so that potential abusers are 'scared straight.' It's time to revamp the drug use policies of golf and other professional sports."

Article: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/25/v-print/1456047/all-athletes-should-face-the-same.html

Contact: Bob Weiner/Rebecca Vander Linde 301-283-0821/202-306-1200

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates

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