At its meeting last weekend the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has not included nicotine in its list of prohibited substances for 2012, but says that nicotine sanctions are discussed with increasing regularity.

Prior to its meeting for updating the list of substances prohibited in sport WADA has received a report from its accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, that describes "alarming evidence" of nicotine use by athletes across 43 sports studied. The study said performance-enhancing effects of nicotine included increased "vigilance and cognitive function," and reduced stress and body weight.
Nicotine is among a number of readily available substances, including caffeine and Viagra, to have been evaluated for potential doping effects. Tests on 2185 urine samples in Lausanne found 15 per cent of athletes actively used nicotine, compared to 25 per cent of the general population.
The report stated that "these statistics bring a very significant support to the hypothesis of smokeless tobacco use as a performance enhancer."
WADA can monitor a substance ahead of inclusion on the prohibited list if it meets two out of three criteria for inclusion — enhancing performance, damaging health and breaching the spirit of clean sport. The report states that nicotine meets all three.
WADA releases its revised prohibited substances and practices list for 2012 on 1 October. (pi)