Weed, steroids, Adderall and more banned
Last month news broke that eSports professionals were taking Adderall to improve their performance. Adderall is often prescribed to those with conditions such as ADHD or narcolepsy, and helps increase the attention of those taking it. It’s no wonder people playing video games for large amounts of money and for long periods of time would want their attention boosted.
Because of that scandal, the ESL have now announced exactly how they’ll be policing drugs at their tournaments. Starting with the ESL One Cologne Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament in September, players will be required to give random saliva samples, which will be tested against the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned drugs.
This includes Adderall, steroids, cannabinoids (a family of substances including marijuana), and a whole pharmacy’s worth of other stuff. While this does mean players won’t be able to get roided up or smoke weed during tournaments, those who have a medical prescription will still be allowed to play.
The list can be controversial. Cannabis can stay in your system for a long time after the effects have worn off, and prescriptions for Adderall can be incredibly easy to get. Unfortunately whether this does anything to stop the problem of doping in eSports is yet to be seen because of this, but let’s hope it does.
ESL’s new anti-doping program bans marijuana, allows prescribed meds [Gamasutra]