Most of you people in this forum, like a lot in the media are still not understanding the AFL's drug code!

If players test positive on match day they are banned straight away, no three strike like in any other sport!

IT'ss the out of compitetion testing where the three strike rule is applied and not many other sports that i am aware of do this!

It's amazing how people and a lot are parents lashing out at afl players for being 'druggies' yet have no understanding in what is actually going on in society. Drugs are a major problem, and the best solution is education on the issue(like the afl do) and addicts or people who 'dabble' given counselling and and rehabillitation not being thrown away for a bad decision!

God people are ignorant about drugs in this world.

Im 19 years old. 80% of the people I know will have some recreational drugs on the w/e once a month, maybe once every 2 months. They do not have a drug problem. Speed, Cocaine, Pills, Weed, Ice, non of these would be used on game day. If you used any during a game you would have a heart attack for sure.

I am studying medicine at uni and have been reading up on this and have come to the conclusion. None of these young blokes have a problem.

Everyone said how Cousins seemed to take it lightly..... Cause he KNEW he didn't have a major problem. If you get positive once people act like your an addict. When it could have been one time, on your birthday, something like that. Cousins did use almost every w/e and it was good that it has been stopped because ice is addictive. However pills are not. Thats the one drug I assume AFL players would take cause nearly every person I know aged 18 to 23 uses pills. I did once at 17 but haven't since. I don't have a drug problem.

What makes AFL players different from everyone else? People will argue cause it's there job... Is it there job to act like a robot. They do not have to do what they are told. They are human beings. If a friend of mine takes drugs does that get published all over the papers.

Bottom line, these are young guys. Youthful blokes who want to have fun. It's there choice. once, twice, three times, hell 30 times. You are not a drug addict for taking a pill once a month at a club.

Any questions, please ask. I have learnt much about drugs.

You are not a drug addict for taking a pill once a month at a club.

No, you're just an idiot...

No, you're just an idiot...

Worlds full of [censored] mate.

Also full of people who don't know how to open their mind from a surpressed childhood not knowing what its really like out there.

No, you're just an idiot...

Well said.

For starters, drugs tear people away from society. Surely this is not a good thing @ a football club.

Second, these "Young kids" you so call them Demons 32, you speak of them in a way that's it's ok to do drugs (recreational or performance enhancing regardless - These "Young kids" are role models..!

Do you think this is cool? And that it's ok?

You have got to be joking!!! Pull your head in. I don't think posting your idea's on this subject are needed.

What Medical Institute do you study anyway Demons 32?

Well said.

For starters, drugs tear people away from society. Surely this is not a good thing @ a football club.

Second, these "Young kids" you so call them Demons 32, you speak of them in a way that's it's ok to do drugs (recreational or performance enhancing regardless - These "Young kids" are role models..!

Do you think this is cool? And that it's ok?

You have got to be joking!!! Pull your head in. I don't think posting your idea's on this subject are needed.

What Medical Institute do you study anyway Demons 32?

Never mentioned performance enhancing drugs. That is wrong. Drinking is also a drug, spose they should'nt be able to do that if they want? I don't think people should do drugs but they are human beings with a choice. What if they don't want to be role models? Do they get a choice? It's thrusted upon them.

So they shouldn't get the freedom to do what they want in their private life like you or me?

Who are you to decide how people should live their life, just because they play a game they don't get a choice. They don't get to make mistakes like everyone else as they grow up?

Just because an 18 year old kid gets drafted doesn't mean he is suddenly a 30 year old man. He still thinks like an 18 year old, peer pressured like an 18 year old, wanting to just go out on the w/e, forget the week and let the hair down.

Sorry, your right, footballers aren't aloud to have a private life, they should get branded on the news for quite possibly a one time thing. They should have news stations buy there stolen medical records. They don't deserve privacy.

Today Tonight. Anyone see it? Wonderful piece of journalism.

You lost me after your first line. Today Tonight and journalism should never be used in the same paragraph......

Calabreseboy, your argument was stripped of any modicum credibility as soon as you used Today Tonight as a point of reference, and your inference that such programming is a “wonderful piece of journalism” borders on risible. Good to see you pay further homage to Today Tonight by employing their tactics of sensationalism, hyperbole and not addressing the true issue – Privacy.

I don’t necessarily agree with AFL’s drug policy; but as others have stated that is a separate debate.

Publicising classified medical documents without permission cannot be justified, irrespective of the subject’s social status or fame. One can accept the forfeiture of a level privacy as a symptom of players’ fame but to completely disregard one’s right to privacy with the justification that their fame eliminates their right to privacy is unjust.

The problem in Australia is that a privacy tort cannot be introduced to protect people’s privacy and eliminate cases like this because Australia has no guarantor of freedom of speech like the one stipulated in the U.S. constitution. If a privacy tort was introduced in the absence of such a guarantor of freedom of speech it would allow for the suppression of information that is definitively in the ‘public interest’.

Channel 7 will continue to defend their right to publish in the ‘public interest’ – as this is the typical self-serving rationale of media organizations in these situations – but knowing the names of these players is not in the ‘public interest’, it is simply public curiosity that breeds the desire to know the identities.

Sorry, your right, footballers aren't aloud to have a private life, they should get branded on the news for quite possibly a one time thing. They should have news stations buy there stolen medical records. They don't deserve privacy.

Nice sarcasm. Do they teach you that at Medical school? Haha.

I never said they weren't aloud to live a private life.

Drugs are bad - Simple as that.

People on drugs need to wake up to themselves. It's not helping them in any way, shape or form. Especially to footballers.

Alcohol is a drug yes but in moderation, it can actually be good for you. But not if you binge.

There is no goodness in an ecstasy pill & as soon as you have one - YOU HAVE A PROBLEM..!

Today Tonight. Anyone see it? Wonderful piece of journalism. I'm finding a new respect for that channel. If you missed it, it was pretty much about how the AFL deals with anyone who practically says anything bad about it. They pinpointed how that rugby union dude got immediate sacking after testing positive for cocaine, THE FIRST TIME, and then went on to talk about several media personalities who had jobs at the AFL but immediantly lost them after saying something bad about the league.

Also, quote of the year so far:

"Brendan Gale ranted on like an angry girlfriend, rather than the president of the players association", or something along those lines.

It was brilliant. Good on you 7! You got my vote. They haven't missed a beat in this scandal and nothing is going to stop them.

They also made threw a big bright light on the whole Ben Cousins thing, and I cannot believe for the life of me that he was aloud to play again this year. What a disgrace.

Yeah but im pretty sure this was on competition day????

There's a bit of a difference between playing with Cocaine in your system and having it the night/day after a game and then getting tested midweek.

Yeah but im pretty sure this was on competition day????

There's a bit of a difference between playing with Cocaine in your system and having it the night/day after a game and then getting tested midweek.

As I understand it Sailor apparently took the drug either the night before or the day before a Waratah game.

He was tested after the match, as is custom in the Super 14, and the result came in just prior to the next home game.

He was pulled from that match and subsequently banned for two years for having cocaine in his system on match day.

So yes the circumstances are obviously quite different to the ones that we are talking about here,

Nice sarcasm. Do they teach you that at Medical school? Haha.

I never said they weren't aloud to live a private life.

Drugs are bad - Simple as that.

People on drugs need to wake up to themselves. It's not helping them in any way, shape or form. Especially to footballers.

Alcohol is a drug yes but in moderation, it can actually be good for you. But not if you binge.

There is no goodness in an ecstasy pill & as soon as you have one - YOU HAVE A PROBLEM..!

You forgot to add "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!"

"as soon as you have one - YOU HAVE A PROBLEM" - LOL! Get a grip mate!

LOL! Get a grip mate!

Childish... Simply childish...

Childish... Simply childish...

Tell me why I HAVE A PROBLEM as soon as I have a pill mate?

There are two separate issues in all of this.

1) Players taking drugs.

2) News reporters buying private medical records.

It just feels as though the two are being connected, when really they are separate.

Yes, drugs are an issue in sport that needs to be addressed and fixed up.

However, buying the medical records of footballers to find out who has taken drugs and then broadcasting the find just isn't on.

There is a 3rd issue - revealing the contents of a patient's medical/health records is illegal in Victoria. In Victoria we have the Health Records Act (2001) which prohibits the disclosure of any aspect of of a patient's medical or health records without the the explicit permission of the patient.

Tell me why I HAVE A PROBLEM as soon as I have a pill mate?

Don't be so rude.

Ok, Psychological difficulties for one. These include depression, sleep problems, craving, anxiety, & paranoia during and sometimes weeks after taking pills. Psychotic episodes can also sometimes be on the cards.

Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching (which can chip & break teeth), nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and sweats.

Having pills also increases heart rate and blood pressure - a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease.

Pills also cause damage to the neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. In monkeys, exposure to MDMA for 4 days caused brain damage that was evident 6 to 7 years later. This was a study a few months back & provides further evidence that people who take "pills" may be risking permanent brain damage.

Damage to these neurons is the underlying cause of the motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of this disease begin with lack of coordination and tremors and can eventually result in a form of paralysis.

Also liver problems.

So there's a few pal.

Next time, don't ask stupid questions.

There is a 3rd issue - revealing the contents of a patient's medical/health records is illegal in Victoria. In Victoria we have the Health Records Act (2001) which prohibits the disclosure of any aspect of of a patient's medical or health records without the the explicit permission of the patient.

This I agree with. The files should have no way been stolen or sold. They also shouldn't have been bought.

Channel 7 should be sued - along with the [censored] who stole them..!

As I understand it Sailor apparently took the drug either the night before or the day before a Waratah game.

He was tested after the match, as is custom in the Super 14, and the result came in just prior to the next home game.

He was pulled from that match and subsequently banned for two years for having cocaine in his system on match day.

So yes the circumstances are obviously quite different to the ones that we are talking about here,

In addition, cocaine is generally considered to be a performance enhancing drug because it acts as a stimulant much like caffeine only stronger.

Don't be so rude.

Ok, Psychological difficulties for one. These include depression, sleep problems, craving, anxiety, & paranoia during and sometimes weeks after taking pills. Psychotic episodes can also sometimes be on the cards.

Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching (which can chip & break teeth), nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and sweats.

Having pills also increases heart rate and blood pressure - a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease.

Pills also cause damage to the neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. In monkeys, exposure to MDMA for 4 days caused brain damage that was evident 6 to 7 years later. This was a study a few months back & provides further evidence that people who take "pills" may be risking permanent brain damage.

Damage to these neurons is the underlying cause of the motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of this disease begin with lack of coordination and tremors and can eventually result in a form of paralysis.

Also liver problems.

So there's a few pal.

Next time, don't ask stupid questions.

I wasn't rude at all - stop being so sensitive!

I'm not pro or anti drugs I just hate it when people come up with sweeping Today Tonight style statements similar to the one you posted.

We've heard them all before:

"If you take cocaine once you'll be hooked for life"

"As soon as you take a pill YOU HAVE A PROBLEM"

These statements do little to stimulate proper debate on the supposed drug problem in our society. People who have taken drugs in the past will just laugh you off as they probably have 50 friends who have all taken drugs, live normal healthy lives, and don’t regret it for a second.

Anyway, have a good day and welcome to Demonland…….

Anyway, have a good day and welcome to Demonland…….

No. I welcome you.

Furthermore, I did not make a TT comment.

Get your hand off it.

Having only smoked a bit of weed as a teen and enjoyed a few beers in my time, I had my drink spiked a few months ago and I will never understand why anyone would consciously take drugs and want to feel the way I did. I have never felt so bizarre in all my life and I will never forget it. I still feel completely creeped out by it. I honestly thought i was going to die and couldn't even stand under the shower it felt like bullets hitting my skin. Why anyone would want to feel that way is beyond me, and how you could spike someone's drink and put them in so much danger is just unfathomable.

Having only smoked a bit of weed as a teen and enjoyed a few beers in my time, I had my drink spiked a few months ago and I will never understand why anyone would consciously take drugs and want to feel the way I did. I have never felt so bizarre in all my life and I will never forget it. I still feel completely creeped out by it. I honestly thought i was going to die and couldn't even stand under the shower it felt like bullets hitting my skin. Why anyone would want to feel that way is beyond me, and how you could spike someone's drink and put them in so much danger is just unfathomable.

yea i used to do it occasiously , also as a way to escape depression but didn t work i felt worse about it, i stopped as soon as i found out a friend, champion swimmer drowned after a drug overdoe. tradgic waste of life indeed.

im guessing when your famous and rich, it brings the bad side of people being drugs lots of alcohol and gambling, thewy need to fix this drug problem, which starts at ben cousins telling us the full story like joey did in the nrl.

with the documents i heard every other station was offered them and rejected them,good on them

In addition, cocaine is generally considered to be a performance enhancing drug because it acts as a stimulant much like caffeine only stronger.

i think most of those drugs are considered performance enhancing if taken on a match day -amphetamines speed you up. they alter your mental state...and help your body perform differently...

if it was an in competition test that was failed, these players would be suspended immediately...we are talking about non-competition testing...

i think most of those drugs are considered performance enhancing if taken on a match day -amphetamines speed you up. they alter your mental state...and help your body perform differently...

if it was an in competition test that was failed, these players would be suspended immediately...we are talking about non-competition testing...

I accept what you are saying but my understanding is that if you test positive to a drug considered to be performance enhancing on WADA's list, irrespective of whether it is during or out of competition, that wouldn't come within the three strikes.

Happy to be corrected but I thought cocaine was on that list while amphetamines such as "ice" were not.

Having only smoked a bit of weed as a teen and enjoyed a few beers in my time, I had my drink spiked a few months ago and I will never understand why anyone would consciously take drugs and want to feel the way I did. I have never felt so bizarre in all my life and I will never forget it. I still feel completely creeped out by it. I honestly thought i was going to die and couldn't even stand under the shower it felt like bullets hitting my skin. Why anyone would want to feel that way is beyond me, and how you could spike someone's drink and put them in so much danger is just unfathomable.

That is paranoia. It isn't like that for frequent users, they new what they were having, I have done it myself when I first turned 18. And done it when spiked. I freaked out the whoe time I was spiked because I didn't know who it was, what it was. Even if it was something small my mind made me feel like it was MASSIVE. I found that when I did it myself it wasn't bad at all.