A. Gregoriadou et al., Use of banned drugs (doping) by athletes in a department of sports sciencein Thessaloniki, Greece, MED SCI RES, 27(2), 1999, pp. 139-140
Many athletes, in various sports, use banned (and illegal) drugs to improve
their physical strength and endurance. The aim of this study was to determ
ine: (1) if students (who were also athletes) in the Department of Sports S
cience of the University of Thessaloniki, Greece, knew which substances are
prohibited; (2) if they used such substances; and (3) whether they knew th
e side-effects that drugs can cause. The survey was done by using an anonym
ous and secret questionnaire. We delivered 300 questionnaires, 266 of which
were returned completed. 119 students (47.6%) were male and 131 (52.4%) fe
male, while 16 students did not mention their sex. 61% were > 20 years old
and 33% were < 20 years old. Their knowledge of prohibited substances was h
igh: 97% knew about anabolic agents while 70% were aware of amphetamines. A
lower percentage knew about other substances. The degree of knowledge of t
he side-effects caused by the use of such drugs was low. A small percentage
(3.2%) of the students used doping, while 192 persons declared that they m
ight use these substances in hope of winning an international event. Med Sc
i Res 27:0139-140 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.