Here is Joe Gallagher's story
I was tested after a rapid tournament in Biel. Two doctors from the Swiss Olympic
committee turned up at the tournament and demanded to test five players, including
some of the winners.
It
took me several pints of beer before I could produce a sample. I started with
a couple of litres of water, but that had no effect.
I knew the test was coming at some point as the Swiss Federation had forced
the leading players to sign a document agreeing to testing a few months prior
to that. I wasn't happy, but they said that not signing was equivalent to a
positive test! This made me even more angry but then I decided not too waste
my energy on this matter and signed.
The main drug they seemed to be concerned about is that real villain caffeine.
Four cups of coffee in a six hour period is borderline (depending on size, metabolism
etc).
Of course it's a bit tough on chess players if they get tested positive for
all the irrelevant stuff, such as cannabis or any number of the cold medicines.
Reactions seem to be mixed amongst chess players. No doubt you have seen the
reaction of the US team to testing at the forthcoming Olympiad, while others
seemed resigned to the fact that if chess wants to be seen as a sport and part
of the Olympic movement then they have to conform.
However, this may change now that the IOC has said that chess has no chance
of getting into the Olympics. Personally I feel it is a complete joke that chess
is falling over itself to get into the Olympics. I think chess should stand
on it's own rather than becoming some third rate event at the Olympics, which
is probably how it would be portrayed by the mass media.
Big Brother Is Testing Your Urine
Lindsay Earls was a 16-year-old sophomore at Tecumseh High School in Oklahoma
when the school decided to implement a random drug testing policy in 1998 for
students involved in extracurricular activities.
Earls, already a high academic achiever with a long list of extracurricular
activities, including choir practice, was herded along with other students into
an auditorium at the small school just 30 miles southeast of Oklahoma City,
and from there to a bathroom. She and three other girls were made to pee into
a cup, while teachers stood outside of the stall. The teachers listened for
the girls' urine stream, and then checked the cups for warmth and clarity.
This was part of random drug testing policies that have been implemented for
students involved in chess club, debate team, after-school music programs and
other activities.
Read the full article here.