Anti-Doping Policy: Rationale or Rationalisation?

Current international anti-doping policy appears to attract almost universal support. Such cooperation and the unipartite nature of public doping discourse give the impression that anti-doping policy is clear, unproblematic and universally acceptable. However, scratching the harmonious surface of modern anti- doping approaches reveals fundamental problems and inconsistencies. This book demonstrate how some of the most basic issues in anti-doping policy are problematic. Most importantly, the commonly offered rationales for such policies fall short of providing a comprehensive reason for the current prohibition on the use of certain substances and practices in sport. This leaves open the question: why prohibit doping? By analysing the discourse surrounding the use of doping substances throughout the history of anti-doping policy, this book concludes that the symbolism of such practices has been the defining feature in the development of the rules relating to drugs in sport.