ABSTRACT
The use of certain drugs by athletes is prohibited because there is the potential for achieving enhanced levels of performance. With some drugs, the potential to induce serious harm to the user is of prime importance. In most countries, worldwide, the use of certain drugs for “recreational” purposes is against the law. All three of these criteria apply to the class of drugs known as narcotics. Narcotics are drugs which are able to change psychic and physical status of humans through a wide range of symptoms from sleep to euphoria and excitation. There have been few cases of adverse analytical findings (AAFs) for narcotics reported by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratories. The WADA Code states that a Monitoring Program should be established regarding substances that are not on the Prohibited List but which WADA wishes to monitor in order to detect patterns of misuse in sport.
