Ever since it was revealed that professional Counter-Strike player Kory “Semphis” Friesen had taken Adderall when playing the game competitively, it was then decided the maybe something should be done about it. The eSports League had announced then that they were looking to conduct drug testing in the future, and now it has been confirmed in a post on Reddit.
According to the eSports League, it seems that this is a very serious issue, so much so that they are now banning the very same substances that are banned in athletic competitions such as the Olympics. This list is based on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of ban substances, which like we said is pretty much along the same lines of substances banned in physical sporting events.
This includes anabolic steroids, HGH, cocaine, cannabis, and more. An example would be weed which is not allowed to be used during the competition, but out of the competition you’re pretty much fine. However “harder” substances such as coke, steroids, or focus-enhancers such as Adderall are banned at all times.
As for how the eSports League will be testing these athletes, “While choosing the kind of test we want to use, we had to consider a couple of important factors. How invasive the method of testing is, and how reliable will the results be, and how quickly will we get them? We initially announced we will be working with skin tests, but upon further investigation and consultation with the authorities, we came to the conclusion that saliva tests are better fit.”
These tests will also be performed that the eSports League’s discretion anytime during the tournament. That being said, this announcement should have an interesting impact on the scene, especially if it will eventually start weeding out (pun intended) players who might have been performing on drugs.
[Image credit – Helena Kristiansson]
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