Irish Sports Council announce plans for blood testing in GAA

About time

Less than 100 GAA players were drug tested by Irish Sports Council testers last year with 45 of those tests just after a game with the remaining tests performed 'out of competiton.' Thankfully there was no positive tests among any of the players, but it seems that the Irish Sports Council are looking to beef up their anti-doping policy in GAA by introducing blood tests from next year. John Treacy,the chief of the Irish Sports Council, confirmed that from next year GAA players will be blood tested in the same way that football and rugby players currently are. Speaking at the Council's annual report for 2014, he revealed that ahead of blood testing in 2016 , an education policy will be first rolled out later this year,

'We will be testing for blood in the GAA in 2016 and that has been agreed with them. During 2015, we will be rolling out an education programme with the GAA and then the blood testing will come in next year.'

'Obviously, there needs to be an education programme done and the GAA have agreed that we will carry out the blood testing in 2016. It is a very, very important step.'

Athletics is the most tested for sport in Ireland currently with cycling in second place while rugby,with 102 tests last year alone,is now the third most popular sport for tester to take samples in The report also highlights what sports people most commonly search for online when trying to determine if they can use a prescription or over the counter medicine. In terms of prescription products Ventolin inhalers that contain Salbutamol were the most commonly search for medicine from last year's figures   GAA players have been drug tested since 2001 with no high-profile players receiving any bans for illegal drug use. H/T to Irish Independent