Letter to the Editor: Eric Ward

[Wandering Eyes]

I have been following with interest the interviews with Liza Lazarus in the TDN. Excellent stuff, particularly today's piece concerning doping procedures.

I sincerely hope the aptly-named Ms. Lazarus can bring racing back from the dead and I applaud the new transparency of publication of test results along with the accelerated hearing and adjudication timelines. A great step forward.

However, I can't see the advantage of reducing possible sanctions for controlled therapeutic medication offences to make a distinction between such offences and those concerning banned substances.

This is a bit like reducing the penalties for DUI Alcohol, simply to highlight the difference between driving drunk as opposed to driving whilst stoned or under the influence of other Class A narcotics…Such a law would hardly decrease DUI Alcohol cases and the related traffic accidents!

Furthermore, in racing circles, the proposed reduced therapeutic medication sanctions would certainly increase the use of barrel-bottom-scraping excuses like the ones trotted out by certain individuals over the last few years. And that's without even considering the 'cocktail' masking effect that certain PMs might have on administered PEDs.

Eric Ward

Gaillac, France

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