Prepare For Those Drug Tests

[CSN NewsBot]

That's right, I'm talking about you. Yes, you. You may think Counter-Strike and professional gaming is all fun and... games, but think again. Crystal meth and Ritalin are very real problems for gamers, and the CPL is looking to take a stand against their use within the league.

In 2007, the CPL's terms and conditions will include a new provision allowing the CPL to test participating players for drugs. "The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me," Munoz says. "It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge."



That "edge" has become a growing concern for some in professional gaming, who believe gamers could potentially use illegal drugs such as crystal methamphetamine and even prescription medications like Ritalin to increase their alertness, reflex times, physical stamina and mental concentration. TwitchGuru previously reported on how such substances are being abused by gamers at LAN parties, and the possible threat of performance-enhancing drugs tainting professional competitions where hundreds of thousands of pounds are stake.

The tests may be administered starting in the 2007 season.

[elite-mafia]

i hope this doesnt include weed i mean cmon youre alienating like half of your athletes



p.s. 1st

[Zips]

elite-mafia wrote..

i hope this doesnt include weed i mean cmon youre alienating like half of your athletes



p.s. 1st

Further along in the same article:

Still, the CPL plans to implement a strict policy for future competitions, covering all illegal substances from marijuana to cocaine.

[Diamond Dust]

Edited by [user="21673"] @ [time="1165472155"]

I wish they had these rules for online public servers, it would be nice to play a few rounds and not have to hear someone saying, "omg i'm soooo drunk/high right now."



As for the CPL doing drug testing, I think it's cool, it gives the organization a more professional demeanor.



I wouldn't be surprised if a number of people are abusing Ritalin, I mean it's easy to get legitimately, hell doctors seem to hand out prescriptions for it. But how can the CPL regulate a prescribed drug? You can't boot people out for having ADD, i guess you could have a doctor evaluate someone, but that seems like allot of trouble.

[scottyk87]

I submitted this :-) although I submitted http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/08/29/ga...re/index.html

[Zips]

scottyk87 wrote..

I submitted this :-) although I submitted http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/08/29/ga...re/index.html

Ah, sorry. I actually saw this article linked to from Kotaku earlier.

[Gpig]

Edited by [user="17662"] @ [time="1165474848"]

Shaguar will do a lot worse now. At least he still has ESWC and WCG. CPL Winter 2006 will be his last CPL hurrah I guess.



Edit: http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/8333/eleeeeeeefg8.jpg Well at least it looks like it isn't meth for once.

[acidsnow]

Zips wrote..

Further along in the same article:



Still, the CPL plans to implement a strict policy for future competitions, covering all illegal substances from marijuana to cocaine.

But how the hell am I gonna stay twichy without my coke and speed mix!

[Ryosuke T]

i can't but laugh at this. hahaha. im sorry. a bit. hahahahaha

[DaRk-AnGeL]

Doing drugs is wack yo, go out and get a job in McDonalds and live the American dream !



Ummm, yeah, drugs are illegal anyway, and especially performance enhancers should be banned.

[woah]

Such a horrible idea on behalf of the CPL.

[omgomgz]

Gpig wrote..

Shaguar will do a lot worse now. At least he still has ESWC and WCG. CPL Winter 2006 will be his last CPL hurrah I guess.



Edit: http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/8333/eleeeeeeefg8.jpg Well at least it looks like it isn't meth for once.

I think we found the secret to his weight loss a few years back. Crack.

[acidsnow]

Diamond Dust wrote..

As for the CPL doing drug testing, I think it's cool, it gives the organization a more professional demeanor.

Hahaha, I mean they are after all an organisation centered around playing computer games.



In a serious note its seems quite bizarre that he goes on to say...

As for caffeine-loaded energy drinks such as Red Bull and Rockstar, Munoz says the CPL has no plans to regulate such products, even though some gamers have complained about the heavy consumption of such drinks and the positive effects they have on gaming.

It is clear that redbull is not just favoured for its flavour but for its ability to do pretty much what ritalin and other drugs provide.

"We can't really regulate that. Can you really tell a tennis player not to drink a lot of caffeine before a match?" Munoz says.

Yes you can regulate that, the exact same way you are regulating the other drug use.



I am glad he believes caffine drinks are fine, of course the CPL will be taking its share for every drink sold at the event, which will undoubtedly include a lot of high caffeine content drinks, why ban something that you can profit from?



The article that is sourced "Gaming's New Drug Culture: Sex, Drugs and Counter Strike" is filled with unsited bold statements which really lack common sense in some occassions.

Gaming's New Drug Culture: Sex, Drugs and Counter Strike

"I haven't seen anything first hand, but there have been a lot of whispers about kids who come into Halo 2 tournaments, for example, high on Ritalin.

What is the difference between this and these kids going to school for exams cranked up on the stuff anyway?



The second part of the article did improve from its soccer mom-esque style to a first person account of a "technology rave" if you can call it that.

The nerd going "under cover" was quite a laugh and probably got him going all solid snake on their asses at times.

Aaron McKenna

knowing that both my fifty and my trouser pocket would now have substantial amounts of cocaine on them

sure mate if by substantial you mean trace to amounts?

[Gpig]

acidsnow wrote..

In a serious note its seems quite bizarre that he goes on to say...



It is clear that redbull is not just favoured for its flavour but for its ability to do pretty much what ritalin and other drugs provide.



Yes you can regulate that, the exact same way you are regulating the other drug use.



I am glad he believes caffine drinks are fine, of course the CPL will be taking its share for every drink sold at the event, which will undoubtedly include a lot of high caffeine content drinks, why ban something that you can profit from?



What is the difference between this and these kids going to school for exams cranked up on the stuff anyway?

The reason it's not banned is because caffeine is a legal substance that anyone of any age can buy whereas ritalin is a prescription drug. Are you seriously that stupid or what? They can't ban anything that is legal to everyone, and if you don't see the difference legally between abusing a prescription drug and using a non-restricted legal drug then you're a huge idiot.



Also, I haven't actually noticed doing better after drinking a lot of energy drinks or else I'd drink them like crazy at lans. As for making money on energy drinks, last winter they gave them away instead of selling them.

[GhettoHistorian]

in all actuality ritalin doesn't help that much.