As Dq'd has noted, the lack of anti-doping laws in Canada has allowed our border services agency to admit they will look the other way when doping materials come across the border for the Olympics. Frenchfry has noted de Ceaurriz from LNDD acknowledged the value of laws over testing. I'd like to write a few letters to encourage the government to pass legislation making the use, distribution, and advisng on doping illegal, with signifcant penalties, especially for those around the athlete.

Anyone know any good links about how these laws came about in countries that have them? Opinions on what is needed for customs and police to do the job of enforcement? Mistakes the Euros may have made?

Here's one article from a lawyer involved in the Jeanson and Landis files. He seems to think we need these laws too.

http://www.pedalmag.com/index.php?module=S...p;item_id=12003

Hi Lister,

Looks like you and I missed at least one news item on this subject.

1. The IOC has adopted a new rule that will require host cities (/countries) to have anti-doping laws.

The situation is tricky because Canada does not have anti-doping laws, leaving it unclear whether authorities could raid athletes' accommodations in Vancouver to search for drugs the way Italian police did during the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.

...

The IOC is responsible for drug-testing during each Olympics, but counts on police in host countries to share information and crack down on any smuggling, trafficking and distribution rings associated with the games.

"This has become more and more important,'' Ljungqvist said. "We are acting more and more on the basis of intelligence.''

...

For future Olympics, the IOC will enforce a new rule that requires host cities to have an acceptable anti-doping law in place

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/olym...l#ixzz0cnyXCA0o

Apparently this new rule was adopted in late December.

2. For the Vancouver Olympics, the Canadian Border Authorities have now agreed to work with the IOC and will pass along information on any drugs or apparatus that they uncover.

For now, the IOC is working in particular with Canadian customs authorities to prevent the importation of banned drugs and equipment for the games.

"They will make sure that nothing unacceptable is brought into the country,'' he said. "If they find that something has been brought into the country, they will take action and we will get to know it. That's good.''

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/olym...l#ixzz0cnzHxE5e

That is good.

Thus, with respect to letter writing, we can note to the Canadian Authorities at least that we can add to our Ben Johnson reputation by potentially being the last host country to not have anti-doping laws. Of course, the chance of any law getting passed in Canada right now is slim to none as our government has decided it has better things to do than actually try and do its job.

Dave.

Yes, I did miss it. Thanks for that. Once more DP proves its worth. (Tip of the hat to our benefactors)

Still, might be a good idea to push gov't now to commit, before the Olympic incentive dissappears. We won't get a law for the Olympics, but a commitment to an anti-doping law might also be a partial offset to the inevitable cuts coming down the pipe for sport, along with a lot of other programs.