A week ago, news broke that performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) were being widely used in the burgeoning world of eSports. In a video interview with Mohan Govindasamy, “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” player Kory “Semphis” Friesen proclaimed that he used Adderall at a recent tournament, along with many other players.
“I don’t even care—we were all on Adderall,” he said.
The prize money for the tournament in Poland was $250,000.
In the wake of this interview, the Electronic Sports League (ESL) has decided to start administering tests for PEDs.
The ESL will be partnering with Germany-based NADA to create an anti-PED policy, and will work with WADA, out of Montreal, to enforce this policy.
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Before the ESL is able to finalize their affairs with NADA and WADA, they will have one event that needs policing, the ESL One Cologne in August. For this, they will be instituting randomized skin tests, which are not the most reliable form of drug testing—but the ESL has little choice.
Adderall is a drug typically used for persons with ADHD, and commonly abused by people like college students cramming for exams. It brings about a state of increased focus and energy. Adderall is also abused in many other sports leagues like the MLB and NFL, where it is strictly prohibited.
Nowadays, wherever there is money in any type of competition—there is a high likelihood that participants will do whatever they can to win. Now, the ESL will have to manage the hefty price of drug testing all of their players, while at the same time growing their sport.
It is anywhere from ideal, but in some manner it provides them validation. No big-money sport is safe from PEDs, and it would be difficult to cultivate their sport with an environment that revolves around PEDs.