The Anti-Doping in Sports Act represents the introduction of a regime to discourage the use of drugs and doping methods in sports in The Bahamas.

The Bahamas is a signatory to both the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport as well as the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport. The Act introduces domestic law, which is aligned with the World Anti-Doping Code.

When reviewing the Anti-Doping rules as put forth by the BADC, the following questions are key:

• What is the role of the BADC?
• To whom do the rules apply?
• What constitutes an Anti-Doping Rules Violation?
• What are the penalties or sanctions for violations and how do they apply to team sports?
• How are violations and disciplinary matters handled?

What constitutes an Anti-Doping Rules Violation?

In order to properly understand the Anti-Doping rules, all affected parties should know what constitutes a violation.

• The Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athletes Sample.
• Use or Attempted use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method. Note that certain substances may not be prohibited when an Athlete is “Out of Competition”.
• Refusing or failing without compelling justification to submit to Sample collection after notification in accordance with the Rules, or otherwise evading Sample collection.
• Not being accessible or available for Out-of-Competition testing; failing to file whereabouts information and missing scheduled tests. Any three of these infractions within an eighteen month period will constitute a Rule violation.
• Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of the Doping Control process.
• Possession of Prohibited Substances and/or Methods.
• Trafficking or attempted trafficking in any Prohibited Substances or Methods.
• Administration or attempted administration to any athlete of any prohibited substance or method.