The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent in the spirit of fair play, doping in sport for athletes with a disability and in conformity with the general principles of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC). The IPC fully endorses the purposes of the IPC Anti-Doping Code and the WADC.

• To protect the atheltes fundamental right to partcicpate inj doping free sport and thus promote health fairness and equality for athelets world wide
• To ensure harmonized, co-ordinated and effective anti-doping prgrammes and the international nad national level with regards to detection, deterrence and prevention of doping.

New IPC Anti-Doping Code 2009

As WADA Stakeholder, IPC had to review its own Anti-Doping Code to be WADC-compliant by 1 January 2009. The major change will blend the result management process together with the new WADC provisions. This includes the athlete's right to promptly request the analysis of the B Sample, following notification of the initial review process outcome. In failing such a request however, the B Sample analysis may be deemed waived. The revised IPC Anti-Doping code was aproved by the IPC Governing Board in September 2008. It is IPCs responsibility to require as a condition of recognition by the IPC that NPCs within the Paralympic Movement are in compliance with the WADC and adopt and implement anti-doping policies and rules for their events which conform with the IPC Anti-Doping Code.

Please find the new version of the IPC Anti-Doping Code below:

• IPC Anti-Doping Code

Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) set forth in the IPC Anti-Doping Code and includes:

• the presence of a prohibited substance - as per WADA Prohibited List - in an athlete’s bodily specimen; 
• use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method; 
• refusing or failing to submit to sample collection after notification; 
• violation of the requirements regarding athlete availability for out-of-competition testing; 
• tampering with any part of doping control; 
• possession of prohibited substances and methods; 
• trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method; 
• administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance or prohibited method to any athlete, or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any attempted violation.

Anti-Doping rules, like Competition rules, are sport rules governing the conditions under which sport is played. All participants (athletes and athlete support personnel) accept these rules as a condition of participation and are presumed to have agreed to comply with the IPC Anti-Doping Code.

The WADC Prohibited List is reviewed and updated from time to time by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Recognizing that there may be cases where athletes should be allowed to use prohibited substances on the list for therapeutic purposes. Exemptions may be sought from the IPC Therapeutic Use Exemptions Committee, provided that the medication is clinically appropriate and does not offer the athlete an advantage. This process is sport- and case-specific.

There is as much need for doping control in sport for athletes with a disability as there is in able-bodied sport. As the Paralympic Games continue to grow and gain in prestige, the temptation to enhance performance through the use of prohibited substances may well increase. It is the objective of the IPC that national testing of athletes with disabilities be integrated into national programs. The IPC will continue to co-ordinate testing at sanctioned events.

Major Changes of Anti-Doping Rules Effective as of 1 January 2009

In light of the new IPC Anti-Doping Code that will come into force on 1 January 2009, the IPC takes this opportunity to highlight the major changes:

Analysis of the B-Sample
The IPC harmonized its procedure for B-sample analysis with the WADC provisions. The process of internal appeal is replaced by the Athlete's right to promptly request the analysis of the B-Sample following notification of the outcome of the initial review process, or, failing such request, that the Bsample analysis may be deemed waived.

Flexibility in Sanctions
Overall, revisions made in the new Code introduce a greater flexibility in the application of sanctions. Reduced sanctions are possible if the athlete can prove that the prohibited substance or method found in his/her body was not intended to enhance performance.

On the other hand, the revised Code provides for an increase of sanctions in doping cases involving aggravating circumstances. While the former Code allowed for a four-year ban for a first Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) only in cases of trafficking or administration of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method, the revised Code thus broadens the spectrum of ADRVs that can lead to a four-year ban for a first serious doping offence.

Specified Substances
All Prohibited Substances, except substances in the classes of anabolic agents and hormones and those stimulants and hormone antagonists and modulators so identified, shall be ‘Specified Substances’ for the purpose of more flexible sanctions.

Atypical Findings (ATFs)
Laboratories are directed to report the presence of a prohibited substance, which may also be produced endogenously, as an Atypical Finding (ATF), which is now subject to further investigation. The process of Initial Review will be initiated, and the athlete will be notified whether or not the ATF will be brought forward as an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF), and subsequently potential Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

The strict liability has been maintained in the revised Code. Strict liability means that each athlete is strictly liable for the substance found in his or her bodily specimen, and that an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a
prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in a bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

An overview of all major changes can be found on the Q&A Code Revisions.

Education

The education of athletes, coaches and medical professionals is critical to the success of any anti-doping programme.  Below are a variety of resources to assist all in understanding the processes of doping control and the implications of doping in sport:   

• WADA Quiz - Test your knowledge of anti-doping
• WADA Doping Control Flyer (Arabic)
• WADA Doping Control Flyer (English)
• WADA Doping Control Flyer (French)
• WADA Doping Control Flyer (Spanish)
• WADA Doping Control Flyer (German)
• WADA Video "Levelling the Playing Field"

Should you have any question or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the IPC Anti-Doping Administration Manager at antidoping@paralympic.org.