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By Monica Iheakam
World Anti-Doping Agency WADA says it is now ready to enforce a sport-wide ban on painkiller tramadol in competitions starting from January 1, 2024.
WADA added Tramadol to the 2024 list of prohibited substances and was approved by WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) during its meeting on 22 September 2023 in Shanghai, China.
The Prohibited List is an international standard identifying substances and methods that are prohibited in sport.
In the latest announcement, WADA said the delay gave “time to the scientific community to adjust the exact procedural details so that fairness can be ensured for athletes” and it has given “sports authorities time to develop educational tools for athletes, and for medical and support personnel to address the safe use of tramadol for clinical purposes within anti-doping.
Athletes, coaches, sports doctors and pharmacists are being urged to familiarise themselves with the WADA 2024 Prohibited List which comes into effect on 1 January 2024.
WADA says ‘Tramadol abuse, with its risk of physical dependence, opiate use disorder and overdoses, is of concern worldwide and has led to it being a controlled drug in many countries.
