When we say that racing drivers are "speed addicts", we're referring to the intoxicating exhilaration of velocity, not the chemical narcotic. Cocaine is another story, as Luca Moro is finding out...the hard way. The 33-year-old Italian GT driver tested positive for cocaine in a routine drug test at the Spa 24 Hours race in Belgium this past year. The driver has the recourse to appeal the revocation, but he's already tested positive twice.
As an international sports governing body, the FIA adheres to the policies and rules of the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA), and cocaine falls squarely in the category of their prohibited substances. The question we'd like to ask is, if cocaine isn't a performance-enhancing drug (like steroids, for example), and motor-racing isn't an athletic sport, what effect does Moro's cocaine use have on his competition?
Do you think the use of drugs should be prohibited in motorsports, or are the two completely unrelated? Leave your opinion in our comments section.
[Source: GrandPrix.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alfonso @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:14PM
I remember reading an article on how blow betters your reaction times. If that's true then it would definitely be a performance enhancer in motorsports.
JAce @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:15PM
This is a stupid question. If I wonk for a Dell, IBM or any other company and Cocaine has nothing to do with my work performance should the company allow me to stay in the company even though I test positive for the drug? I'm betting that 99.9999999999% of the time they will Can you ass faster then you can say 'I don't believe cocain affects......" BLAH.
J B @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:19PM
Cocaine does have its physical effects for sure, but it also edges out your mind a bit. I have noticed that cocaine allows for somewhat faster reaction times, but also a general rise in awareness. I honestly think that a pro car driver might benefit from hooting up some blow before a race.
aaron @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:23PM
Provided it is not a human rights issue, whether or not they allow drug use by their racers is theri perogative.
I can pretty much guarantee the guy isn't using blow just for performance enhancement, although his alertness would no doubt be better on it to a point.
David @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:30PM
Would you really want a lap Spa racing wheel to wheel with a drug addict?
rem83 @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:36PM
Racing drivers basically have celebrity status. They are role-models for the fans of the sport. Generally, drug abuse is considered an undesirable characteristic in a role-model, which is usually why athletes are banned if they test positive for drugs (even those that have a negative affect on performance).
JAce, you obviously don't work for a company like Dell or IBM. Any engineering firm (and probably most other companies, but my experience is limited only to engineering firms) tests you for drug use prior to employment. They usually test you at irregular intervals as your employment continues. If you test positive for cocaine, you can bet your ass will be out of there the same day. Even if there is no direct effect on your performance, drug use makes employees more vulnerable. Again, with engineering companies, this can result in loss of proprietary information. I would be amazed if there are any white collar positions out there that would tolerate drug abuse.
mikomichan @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:36PM
cocaine is not a prohibited substance because it's a performance enhancing drug, but it can have a negative effect on a sport if an athlete or a member of the sport tests positive. many sports ban illegal substances like cocaine to maintain their "professional" image. when Olympic athletes test positive for a banned substance, it's an imediate black eye for the country athlete represents, and also tarnishes the athlete's reputation as a professional.
what if sports just did not ban cocaine? well, that would not work because the drug is illegal in many countries to posses or something to that effect. so if the athlete is competing in an event and has cocaine in his system, and the country he's at makes it illegal to test positive in any way whatsoever (see the Winter Olympics at Turin for examples), that makes them criminally responsible. So sporting organizations take the higher ground and ban substances, even if they do not seem to affect performance.
Bones Floyd @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:43PM
I fully agree with J B that while the effects of cocaine do allow for somewhat faster reaction times and a general rise in awareness, it is a rather short lived high.
The transient after affects of the high have far more of a NEGATIVE effect on a drivers performance and I would assume out weigh any slightly positive effects that the high could offer any type of race car driver. In addition, you would have to be constantly doing lines or bumps every 20-30 minutes to maintain that heightened sense of awareness associated with cocaine. If not you would become somewhat edgy and 'sketchy' as you came down from the high and would constantly be craving that next bump or line that would in turn distract you from your race at hand.
The after-effects also include a somewhat distorted view and feeling in your eyes which I can only imagine would be another point against doing the drug in the first place.
Its somewhat comparable to how you feel an hour or 2 after downing 1 or 2 Redbull's.... (without food or alcohol)..
Mike @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:46PM
Ummm... major engineering companies don't necessarily test for drug usage. I've worked for three of them, and IBM was the only one that did.
It's also very naive to assume that drug usage makes an employee more "vulnerable". Why? Because they have to break the law to get their fix vs. an alcoholic or prescription drug user? I guess you should fire anyone with speeding violations while you're at it.
There are also plenty of "highly-functioning" recreational users out there. Even if their performance was affected, there is plenty of objective ways to measure an employees performance irrespective of what they do in their free time. Smarter companies, like engineering firms, get this.
The driver @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:47PM
I don’t believe there are grounds for asking such question; it is as clever as saying “for a bank teller, heroin doesn’t really affect anything, why can’t they shoot it before the client eyes?” It is illegal substance, that’s the bottom line. He should be barred from further participation in any motosport, just to set an example.
aaron @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:05PM
alot of guys use blow as well since it is in and out of your system so fast.
this guy is either very brazen or an addict in my view.
Doug @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:08PM
You say "motor-racing isn't an athletic sport". It really is. Even a short 20 minute race is very physically demanding and draining, and being in top shape is required. If you don't have the endurance, the reflexes, or the agility to stay alert on the race track, you're going to lose. I'm sure we've all seen races won or lost based on some tiny slipup.
Bob @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:11PM
A goodie, the WADA. And I thought they were just the pseudo-science lackies of the bicycle racing world.
The moron inquisition has arrived in our fair halls.
Mr. Whitefolks @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:21PM
Anyone arguing that cocaine use should not be regulated by motor sports may be learned but definitely not experienced. One big problem is that the coked-out driver will be entering the pits every other lap gripped with the fear that his pit crew is snorting up his stash without him. Besides, if you are doing blow and racing, how can you smoke cigarettes with that helmet on? The helmet also would get in the way of the post-nasal drip.
Recreational cocaine user, now that is a real hoot. Stop the rationalizations. I have often wondered why it is so difficult for recreational users to change their form of recreation. Motor sports may be a nice alternative form of recreation. Because it is not about recreating now is it?
I have totaled one auto during my life and wouldn't you know it the wreck happened in conjunction with a four-day coke bender. It wasn't the coke, it was the sleep deprivation right guys?
To quote Al Jorganson, "Never trust a junkie", and certainly not when it comes to driving an F1 auto.
MB @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:24PM
Rem, you got it right on! Thats absolutely to the degree what FIA is thinking of. Many, many youngsters idolize motorsport stars. Think of how many kart racers graduate to great F1 drivers. It is a huge responsibility for anyone in a celebrity status to live up to a positive role model. How many kids have Mike Tyson as an idol compared to Mike Jordan? I'd say the latter.
Enough with the parent talk....well with drug testing for any employment situation is important to business. Whether you're flipping burgers, assembling in a line, or a desk jockey, drugs or any other distraction is not good for business. I'm sure there are people who are reading this, that their personal drug use is purely recreational and they have the self control to keep it at that. The general population, people are not so lucky.
Jinx @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:31PM
I am a doctor and heres my opinion.....
I agree that the driver has the right to choose whether or not he wants to use coke...however...
the issue here is the same as for say secondary smoking....can it have an ill effect on the health of others...in my opinion..yes....
the coke may cause an improvement in his reaction time...however...it can affect his coordination...and it may cause a heart attack or other health problems causing him to lose control of his vehicle...at those high speeds...he may smash into another vehicle and cause an accident and loss of life or limb....so he does pose a threat to others on the track and hence it SHOULD be prohibited!
fizzandpop @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:34PM
It's like Johnny Marr said, "You're young, you're rich, the rules do not apply to you. You've just got to go and have it, haven't you?" I would be Tony Montana in this situation. Models, fast cars, celebrity, booze, rich bastards, gack! And before anyone else says anything about performance enhancement, he didn't take it because of that, he took it because he's king of the f'king world and there was probably a big fat line bekoning him from some Hungarian model's cleavage. He'll get banned, fined, fired and be back next year. Just ask Adrian Mutu.
sheikhness @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:42PM
Well, I think it affects the driving but for the worst. I judge by the effect it has on me with video games that require concentration and fast reflexes. For example Counter-Strike. I start sucking noticably more if I have done couple of lines of blow. Granted, I do enjoy the game a bit more. And the more blow I do the more I suck. That is true for other games that require concentration. Now, I have driven under influence of cocaine on numerous occasions but never under circumstance that required more than usual level of alertness - if I can say for myself, in a situation that would require me to be at the absolute top of my driving ability I would rather be not coked-up.
Nugget Lover @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:42PM
Well that is what cocoa leaves were originally used for, a burst of energy and awareness.
Ken J @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:54PM
I'm with Jinx. It's not the image, or the integrity of the sport, nor the unfair advantage that makes cocaine and any other recreational drug unfit for the sport. It's safety. It's unsafe to let a potentially coked up driver get behind a car let alone a Formula One racing machine. It's unsafe for the driver, his competitors, all support staff, and even the fans.
Ban his ass