[mike honcho]

Experts says NASCAR drug list should be public: A prominent authority on drug testing says the indefinite suspension of Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield further enhances his belief that the sport needs to provide a public list of banned substances to protect itself legally. Mayfield on Saturday became the first Sprint Cup driver suspended for violating the substance abuse policy. Sources close to the situation said Mayfield claims he took Claritin D, an over-the-counter allergy drug that contains pseudoephedrine, a substance banned by most sports. Mayfield said in a prepared statement that the positive test was the result of combining a prescribed and over-the-counter drug, a possiblity the doctor who runs NASCAR's drug testing policy denied was plausible. "A combination of an over-the-counter drug taken with a prescription drug could not cause the positive that we took action on," Dr. David Black of the Tennessee-based Aegis Labs said. But what concerns Dr. Charles Yesalis, a Penn State professor who has testified before Congress on performance-enhancing drugs and spent 25 years researching drug testing, is that drivers are not provided a list of banned substances. The NFL, NBA, MLB PGA Tour and NCAA each make available public lists in their drug testing policies. "That alone to me is ludicrous," Yesalis said Monday. "That just kind of violates your sense of fair play. It never would fly in MLB or the NFL because they have a union. "The drivers don't have a union, but if somebody did that to me I'd go get myself a nasty lawyer. What if somebody in management or ownership doesn't like you? They can use that as a weapon against you." Black said the lack of a list makes the program stronger because it gives the governing body more flexibility. Yesalis doesn't disagree that the findings of the test are legitimate. He, too, never has come across a positive test caused by the use of Claritin D, although "if somebody doubled or tripled the dose I wouldn't want to be next to them at 190 miles per hour going into the first turn at Darlington." But for legal reasons he believes NASCAR needs to be more up front with what they are looking for. Because his is not considered an appealable offense, legal action could be Mayfield's only recourse if he chooses to fight the suspension. Sources close to the situation said that hasn't been determined yet.(ESPN)(5-11-2009) Comment here

[Curves24]

Besides inquiring minds want to know

[Bob Tanner]

Jenna Fryer wrote for the AP, and it was picked up in part, by Yahoo Sports:
1. Mayfield’s suspension: No matter what happens going forward, Mayfield will forever be the first driver to violate NASCAR’s toughened drug policy.

His indefinite suspension was announced roughly two hours before the start of Saturday night’s race, which Mayfield had failed to qualify for a day earlier. Kudos to NASCAR for its swift action in proving it is serious about this new policy.

But, it’s not that black and white.

Mayfield claims his failed test, which was taken a week earlier at Richmond, was a result of a negative reaction when an over-the-counter drug was mixed with a prescription drug. The gossip is that it was all allergy-related.

Problem is, NASCAR won’t say what he did beyond dismissing the failure as alcohol related.

That leaves a pretty dark cloud over Mayfield, who now is subjected to whispers and wonders of using and possibly abusing recreational drugs. There is no clear list as to what drivers can’t take under this new policy, and NASCAR reserves the right to test drivers for anything it wants.

A list does exist, however, for crew members and anyone who works on the car. In addition to the standard no-no’s – cocaine, heroin, marijuana, etc. – the list bans three different drugs classified under ephedrine, 13 different “narcotics” that include codeine and morphine, and 10 different benzodiazepines and barbiturates.

Benzodiazepines are found in common drugs that treat insomnia and anxiety. Ephedrine is often used to treat congestion, colds, flu, hay fever and allergies.

I don’t know what Mayfield tested positive for, and what little NASCAR has said on the subject is that it was a clear violation. The doctor who administers the program isn’t buying Mayfield’s explanation, either.

But, perception-wise, there’s still a big difference between a driver who climbs into his car high on cocaine and a driver who used a drug that contained an ingredient that NASCAR bans. If this isn’t an issue of hard drugs, NASCAR should say so and lift that cloud of suspicion from Mayfield.

Of course, he could clear it up himself and explain exactly what NASCAR believes he’s done.

Either way, his suspension isn’t the final word on this subject and doesn’t prove that NASCAR’s drug plan is perfect. After all, the sanctioning body first learned he had a positive result on Thursday, but still allowed Mayfield to participate in two Friday practices at Darlington and attempt to qualify for the Cup race while his “B” sample was analyzed for a second opinion.

I’d be stunned if NASCAR officials allowed him on track if they suspected he’d been driving under the influence of a street drug.


One thing that surprised me somewhat in Jenna's AP version of the above is she points out that drivers and crew members are tested for different substances. This is from NA__AR officials but NA__AR declines telling exactly what the difference is. Here is a quate from the entire Fryer story:
"NASCAR won’t reveal what banned drug Mayfield used, saying only that it wasn’t an alcohol-related offense. When pressed for more information, NASCAR officials would not budge.

“It’s not relevant to the public interest,” spokesman Ramsey Poston said. “What’s relevant is that this guy failed the test. It’s a zero tolerance test. That’s all that matters.”


Well, isn't THAT just special? Does Poston's rather arrogant response affect others the way it affects me?

To me, this deal with Mayfield (of whom I'm far from being a fan of) is scaringly like the 1987 NASCAR smear of Tim Richmond. He was banned yet NASCAR gave no definitive reason why, but rather left it all up to the imagination of the people outside the "Inner Circle." The guy I love to dislike, Rick Hendrick, was virtually the ONLY person connected with NASCAR who stood behind Tim, at the time.

If I held and lot of power and had a grudge against someone and wanted to turn the public against them, I might try something like using my access to the media to level a hard accusation with vague reasoning toward them and let them try to talk their way out of it, all the while remaining aloof and being authoritarian.

[kkfan91]

“It’s not relevant to the public interest,” spokesman Ramsey Poston said. “What’s relevant is that this guy failed the test. It’s a zero tolerance test. That’s all that matters.”


Totalitarian much?

[wardfan]

so is this list of banned substances just banned from the public like the mysterious NASCAR rule book? Otherwise how can one know what not to take?

[kkfan91]

heck the fish oil trimega 3 or whatever stuff i was told to take is probably on there

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by wardfan

so is this list of banned substances just banned from the public like the mysterious NASCAR rule book? Otherwise how can one know what not to take?

"A list does exist, however, for crew members and anyone who works on the car. In addition to the standard no-no’s – cocaine, heroin, marijuana, etc. – the list bans three different drugs classified under ephedrine, 13 different “narcotics” that include codeine and morphine, and 10 different benzodiazepines and barbiturates."

The piece that caught my attention was the "10 different benzodiazepines." Pulling out my trusty PDR, I find 32 different benzo's and every one of them is mood altering.

[flflash47]

Please Note the date on the following news clip.

Random testing now part of NASCAR's drug policy

By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
September 20, 2008
05:04 PM

DOVER, Del. -- NASCAR on Saturday morning at Dover International Speedway announced an updated drug policy, which will include random testing beginning in 2009.
NASCAR held a mandatory drivers' meeting for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series competitors on hand for Saturday and Sunday's events at Dover, including some team owners and crew members.
A similar meeting was also held Saturday morning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, site of this weekend's Craftsman Truck Series event.
"The way it came about is, we had a number of discussions with the other professional sports leagues [and] a lot of industry experts -- a number of those are in the garage, actually," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR vice president of racing operations. "I think the bottom line with the policy is we get asked a lot of questions as to why we did this, why now. I think we have talked to a lot of industry experts. We think it's always incumbent upon all of us at NASCAR to think safety first -- that's the safety of our competitors and the fans. That's why we've got this policy in place moving forward in 2009."
NASCAR will continue to work with its outside experts at AEGIS Sciences Corporation and its founder, Dr. David L. Black. AEGIS helped design and implement NASCAR's substance-abuse policy.
"We've had a relationship with Dr. Black for the last 20 years," O'Donnell said. "AEGIS right now is the largest sports and forensic testing laboratory in the United States, so we feel like we've always been with the right group and we're going to continue that relationship moving forward."
AEGIS personnel will administer all preseason and random substance-abuse tests, and O'Donnell said a computer-generated list would be used at "most if not all" weekends to test "from 12 to 14 people." O'Donnell said in a typical weekend, an average of two drivers per series would be tested with the balance coming from the ranks of over-the-wall crewmen and officials.
Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of corporate communications, said the tests would not impact the conduct of a race weekend, with the results available in "from three days to a week, as they are now."
The selection would be so random that O'Donnell said a driver could be tested every week in the season, or never after the preseason test is given. And he deflected any concern about bias.
"I think you could say that if we were the ones administering the test, but we're not -- this is done by an outside agency," O'Donnell said. "They do this every day for NCAA tournament teams. And Jim brought up a good point [in that AEGIS doesn't know who they're testing].
"The way that AEGIS will do the computer program is really by a number. So it will be random generation. They'll see a number that will come up [and] we'll associate that number with a particular driver. So the people who are involved in our testing do this every day and really aren't as familiar with who is who. It will just be a number to them of who's coming in to administer a test to."

[flflash47]

continued.


The amended policy mandates that all drivers in NASCAR's three national series, Cup, Nationwide and Truck, be tested prior to the start of the 2009 season. Team owners must also verify that all licensed crew members have been tested by a lab certified by the U.S. government agency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, prior to the start of the season.
O'Donnell said that "baseline test" would be done by AEGIS personnel during preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway, and all drivers present would be required to submit samples. He said anyone who failed to show up for a scheduled test would be considered as having failed the test.
In addition, NASCAR will test its officials prior to the start of the 2009 season. Drivers, over-the-wall crew members and NASCAR officials thereafter will be subject to random tests throughout the year, while the original program of testing on the basis of "reasonable suspicion" would also remain in place.
O'Donnell also spelled out who would pay for the program.
"I don't want to get into the overall costs, but NASCAR will be responsible for all of the tests, the preseason baseline tests for the competitors and officials and then all of the random tests throughout the year," O'Donnell said. "The car owners will be responsible for the cost of their licensed crew member tests prior to the start of the season."
O'Donnell said driver reaction in the meeting was generally positive.
"I think for the most part, and no secret, you've read a lot of the comments prior coming to Dover, that we believe we've got a very clean sport and we also think that the competitors are very supportive of the new policy," O'Donnell said. "As with any new program, there will be questions about how it will work, what will you be testing for. What we did [Saturday] was just lay out the basics of the program and let them know that we'll have people on-site to discuss where we're going with the program and then kind of lay out a full booklet for them to go over the policy moving forward. I think overall [the reaction was] very positive."
Roush Fenway Racing driver David Ragan said, assuming the schedule worked around a busy weekend schedule -- which O'Donnell said it would -- that he had no problem with the updated procedure.
"I think we do have a very clean sport," said Ragan, who competes in both the Cup and Nationwide Series in No. 6 Fords. "They could test us before every race if they want to. Also, we don't want to spend a bunch of time every race having to go to locations --- we're busy enough with on-track activities, and the things that we do with our sponsors and fans.
"But yeah, it's no concern. Lay the paper out in front of me and I'll sign whatever you got, and we'll keep on racing. Whatever they want to do is perfectly fine with me; no questions on my behalf."
Two more "middle-aged" drivers from Penske Racing, Sam Hornish Jr., 29, who's familiar with drug testing from his time in the IndyCar Series, and teammate Ryan Newman, 30, offered thoughtful perspectives with Newman, in particular, appreciating the educational aspect.
"You know, the IRL did a full physical before the season started, I know that they took blood, they took urine -- all that stuff," Hornish said. "I don't know what they even did with it [but] you knew that they were definitely checking and then they started actually doing random tests. I think I was probably one of the first people randomly tested.
"It's always nice to know that the series that you're in is taking [drug abuse] seriously because there's different drugs, prescription and non-prescription that definitely can have an affect on not only your mood and the way you act outside the car but also inside the car."
"I think that it's a great step [and] it's good that NASCAR is starting [the revised policy] in 2009," Newman said. "It will give us time to figure out what the guidelines are for us to follow. How much cough medicine will make you positive [in a drug test]? Does a Z-Pak have an effect on you? Those things we'll have to learn and the communication between your physician and AEGIS will be important to make sure we're doing the right things and handling it the right way."
Newman, for one, didn't have a problem with the lack of a list of questionable or banned substances.
"I think NASCAR will continue to develop that as time goes on," Newman said. "There are obviously banned substances and there are substances that are legal that can make you illegal. You just have to make sure you don't put yourself in jeopardy in NASCAR's perspective."
Veteran Bobby Labonte, 44, said there was no question the policy was the right move.

[flflash47]

and finally.

"The new drug policy is another step in the evolution of NASCAR and the safety of the sport," Labonte said. "Make no mistake, what we do is dangerous. We need to make certain that the competitors are clean when they hit the racetrack. NASCAR did a great job in outlining the rules, what is legal and illegal, and it's up to the drivers and their doctors to make sure they are within the guidelines."
Ragan, 22, said that in the last four years, he'd only been drug tested once and that he had no problem with NASCAR's lottery system.
"It'll only cause problems for people that have something to worry about, not for everybody that's clean," Ragan said. "We have to respect NASCAR stepping up to the plate and making a little tougher policy. I think it'll be great for everybody to get some type of a schedule and we get drug tested more frequently."
"I think that there is a sense of credibility, for sure, to be drug-free -- not just for the drivers, but for the crew members and owners and everybody involved," Newman said. "They want everybody in the garage area to be drug-free. That's NASCAR's goal and that's the way it should be."
Some drivers had expressed the desire to have a random testing policy instituted, particularly after Fike revealed he had used heroin on race days.
"We have made a very good policy even better with the addition of random tests," NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said. "NASCAR's policy has long given us the ability to test anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Random tests now provide us and the industry with additional information."
"NASCAR's substance-abuse policy has always prohibited the misuse or abuse of any drug," its statement said. "This means that a violation of the policy can be triggered with the use of any drug or medication if NASCAR believes it has been abused or misused.
"Penalties for violation of NASCAR's substance-abuse policy will continue to be among the toughest in sports: Immediate suspension from competition. Competitors that violate the policy will continue to be required to meet detailed criteria prescribed by NASCAR's outside experts in order to be considered for reinstatement."
NASCAR's announcement didn't include a list of banned substances, or even substances that would be tested for. O'Donnell said the sanctioning body did not want to continually revise the policy.
"We think we have the broadest policy in all of sports. The reason we don't have a list is we believe that a list is restrictive," O'Donnell said. "If you've seen with a lot of other leagues, the policy is constantly changing. We know that there's new drugs out there every day. By having a broad policy that doesn't list anything, we feel like we can test for any substance that may be abused, no different than our policy is today.
"I want to be clear on that. We've never had a list. It states right now in our policy that cough medicine could be abused if you're taking that too much and it's going to affect the safety on the racetrack. That won't change. We'll test for anything. Our experts are very familiar with prescriptions people may be taking and legitimate medications, but we will not have a list."
NASCAR's announcement reiterated the policy that, "while it is possible that a competitor could receive a lifetime ban for just one violation, a third violation will automatically result in a lifetime ban."
Although he refused to go into details about the comparative number of tests it had conducted in the past versus what it anticipated in the future, O'Donnell said the reporting of test results wouldn't change.
"We don't notify anybody as to who's tested or if there's a negative test," O'Donnell said. "The only time you'll hear us talk about a test is when we have a positive result that's been verified, so that will be no different than our policy is today.
"The way our policy works today and will continue is that when a sample is taken, there's an A and a B sample. Before we go public, we will verify that not only the A but the B sample was positive. Once we're assured by our medical review officer this is indeed a positive test, we will make that public."
O'Donnell stressed that to some degree, the policy would continue to be a work in progress, as in the expansion of the process to test for steroids.
"The way we'll rely on it is if it's medically prescribed and we don't think it affects the safety on the track that is something we would look at," O'Donnell said. "So I think we do test for steroids. That is new to our test. That will be for over-the-wall crew members as well. But we'll rely on Dr. Black and AEGIS on that."
Establishing the baseline in 2009 is part of the adjustment to different persons' medical programs and what the next year of the program will prove.
"What I think gets lost a little bit is even without this new policy right now, the drivers are required to let us know what they're taking," O'Donnell said. "That's kind of the first part. Then the baseline test, really with any new or amended substance-abuse policy, it's the right thing to do.
"It's basically taking a sampling of where you believe you're at today, taking a look at it, then implementing your random test. It's not something we have to do every year in terms of a baseline, but we'll start out, see where we're at, then through the random testing process see if we need to institute that part again in 2010."

[flflash47]

Sorry that's such a long article but it has some very pertinent information in it.

[nascaraddict]

I think is all a little to "Salem Witch Trial" sounding to me.

I say, let them do the drug testing. Then if there's a problem, do it just as they are now. Keep things on the down low for the most part.

And if the driver needs treatment. So be it. And then when the time comes, let him work his way back into the sport.

[DodgeFB]

Originally Posted by nascaraddict

I think is all a little to "Salem Witch Trial" sounding to me.

I say, let them do the drug testing. Then if there's a problem, do it just as they are now. Keep things on the down low for the most part.

And if the driver needs treatment. So be it. And then when the time comes, let him work his way back into the sport.

We all know if NASCAR makes a mistake they will clear it right up. They are fast at admitting their mistakes. (if they had ever made one)

I just wish they would publish the dang list. If ya can't have mustard on your sandwich, just say so.