Given that the current strategies focusing on deterrence and punishment are increasingly ineffective worldwide, is there a radically different approach to ensuring a level playing field? This essay explores the growing discourse on alternate approaches to controlling the use of performance enhancing substances (PES) in sports and reflects on the fact that social and cultural behaviour patterns, plus a lack of ethics in the practice of medicine are the issues that need to be tackled urgently in this eagerness to ensure a level playing field in sports. Kaveri Prakash cautiously argues for adopting a relatively new approach, under wide discussion, centring on a harm reduction strategy, that would allow performance enhancing substances to be administered under supervision. However, this will only be successful if regulatory and ethical frameworks in related areas are strengthened and current practices are systematically reviewed and either discarded or reformed. Moreover, India needs to pay serious attention to its sporting population, on and off the field, in order to gauge its response to regulation.
CALLING TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ENGLISH ALCOHOL HARM REDUCTION STRATEGY