Exclusive-Doping-Education first but drug-testing in gamers' future, says WADA

TORONTO : Gamers who use stimulants could be frozen out of competitions after the World Anti-Doping Agency and Global Esport Federation said they will work on an education programme that could lead to signing onto the WADA Code and open the door to the Olympics.

WADA told Reuters it had been approached by the GEF about developing a plan around health and wellness which could alert gamers, who spend hours and even days behind screens, to the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

Despite the fact that gaming is a billion dollar industry and esports tournaments offer hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money, it has no regulatory body for drug testing.

"Esport Federation realises that they have now a real need to start educating their players because they see there are challenges in the abuse of substances," WADA director general Olivier Niggli told Reuters. "They play for 16-18 hours a day, they have a bad lifestyle that is not very healthy.

"They have a health concern first. Doping is one of them.

"Clearly the way they are playing requires some support if you are playing a game 18 hours in a row behind a screen."

Melita Moore, a GEF board member and editor for The Handbook of Esports Medicine, told Reuters it was well-known that there were performance-enhancing substances being used in esports.

But before there can be drug-testing WADA must meet the esports community and start to provide education and awareness around health and performance.

"There is not a regulatory body in esports. Therefore, the word doping does not exist in the same context as it does in traditional sport," said Moore, who has served as a team physician in the NBA 2K League, WNBA and NBA G League.

"Which means there isn't anti-doping measures that are