ISC warn young athletes against doping

Drugs in Sport : 'Just Say No' was Zammo's infamous line against drugs in the school TV programme Grange Hill and today the …

Drugs in Sport: 'Just Say No' was Zammo's infamous line against drugs in the school TV programme Grange Hilland today the Irish Sports Council (ISC) launched their own anti-doping education campaign under the banner "E-Z Win - Don't throw it all away'.

While the ISC slogan might not be as catchy as the chart-topping pop song that took Zammo and his cast members to the White House, there was a serious message to today's campaign in the hope of preventing young athletes ever getting mixed up with drugs in sport.

The campaign was launched at the FAI's Noel Kennedy Cup, a tournament for schoolboys, in the University of Limerick today and is a programme run in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to get the message out to the next generation of Irish athletes.

"It is of vital importance that we reach out to our next generation of Irish athletes to educate them about the perils of doping, and its consequences to their health and their sporting careers, said John Treacy, chief executive, Irish Sports Council.

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"We want to teach them that the use of banned substances not only threatens their health but they run the risk of destroying their career and reputation with it.

"E-Z Win speaks to our aspiring athletes in a way they appreciate to get the message across that doping is no substitute for the dedication and hard work that is integral to a successful sporting career."

The campaign features an interactive computer game that athletes can play to win prizes plus learn about the risks of doping.

Today's young soccer audience was recognised as an ideal platform to launch the new initiative and the ISC intend to co-ordinate with other governing bodies during the summer.