
Professional Video Gamers to Be Tested for Doping - shill
http://time.com/3970308/video-game-test-esl-drug-doping/
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hukep
I don't like the concept of word 'doping'. It is just the word which
represents a chemical substance to stimulate body for a better performance.
There is however such a hate in using this word. In the past even caffeine in
the coffee was considered to be a doping. It is not nowadays Everybody should
be allowed to use any chemical substance for himself as he wish. He should be
responsible for his own action. If he destroys his health, he should pay for
it not the society. There are also people who lives on revealing the 'doping
sinners'. It is such a waste of money. People cmmon create something
reasonable. Don't waste your time looking for a 'doping' to accuse others for
taking it! I take a 'doping' so what?

~~~
palmer_eldritch
What if amphetamines (or some other stimulants) were to become a thing in the
IT industry and that workers had no other choice to take some to meet standard
performance or be unemployed? All for the benefit of the employers?

That's pretty much what's going on for professional athletes... now, I
wouldn't like being forced to take some drugs to be able to make a living. And
if we say it's ok to do it for professional sports, how long until someone
says it should be ok in other fields?

~~~
forloop
> All for the benefit of the employers?

And society. Sports and jobs are different.

~~~
_pmf_
> And society. Sports and jobs are different.

How does society benefit from it?

~~~
forloop
How does society benefit from products/services and innovation/invention?
Really!

~~~
_pmf_
> How does society benefit from products/services and innovation/invention?
> Really!

Amphetamines allow for short term gains in productivity for individuals and
possibly companies. The products/services/innovations/inventions will be
realized regardless of these short term effects. As much as Silicon Valley
likes the myth of the lone (drug fueled) rockstar developer, please don't be
deluded to think this has any semblance of relevance in reality.

~~~
forloop
> Amphetamines allow for short term gains in productivity for individuals and
> possibly companies.

Your premise is incorrect! It depends on the dosage. Low dose amphetamines can
be neuroprotective. Even meth!

People also take a combination of drugs to stave off tolerance. Memantine, for
example.

> As much as Silicon Valley likes the myth of the lone (drug fueled) rockstar
> developer, please don't be deluded to think this has any semblance of
> relevance in reality.

I'm not making reference to that.

Increased productivity is good for living standards—ceteris paribus. I've
given two examples of how amphetamines may be used profitably in the longterm
(which increases productivity). And because of what I've said in the first
sentence, it follows living standards will be improved.

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joe5150
Statler: are the gamers doping?

Waldorf: if you ask me, they're all dopes! Oh ho ho ho ho!

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eterm
Props to ESL for doing this. Some of this has come about because of how
casually some csgo players have discussed how they load up on adderall just
before matches.

Hopefully they can clean this up not neccessarily just for the sake of
competetive integrity but also to protect the health of the young competitors.

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bluecalm
The problem is that many performance enhancing drugs are used to treat
legitimate conditions. It will always be easier to get doctor prescription for
some players than it would be for others. If you ban Adderal/Ritalin/Modafinil
(although the last one is very questionable when it comes to performance
benefit but still very useful for motivation/energy when putting long hours
practicing) and allow medical exemptions you will end up with privileged group
who have access to the "right doctors".

If you ban it and don't allow medical exemptions you will eliminate people who
need those drugs to function normally.

I would prefer the latter out of the two: you need a drug to function - tough
luck you can't compete but I prefer just allowing wider spectrum of drugs to
begin with.

~~~
mmcru
I think the problem with a total ban is just the sheer number of people with
diagnoses. For example, I read recently that something like 6% of adults have
ADHD (I don't have a source, correct me if that is way off). I personally
wouldn't be surprised if the incidence was higher among young geeky types. And
Adderall isn't even the only drug that these types of competitions should be
worried about.

You can only ban so many people from competing without really starting to
affect the potential number of players, which isn't something that private
gaming-tournament organizations are going to want to do.

~~~
bluecalm
I agree. I even more hate the situation where knowing the right doctors or
even living in a country with more prescription-happy ones gives you advantage
though.

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joshuapants
Makes sense. That said, will they not admit anyone who has a legitimate reason
for prescription stimulants?

~~~
kenzokai
On the other hand, if legitimate use is allowed, there are doctors out there
who will give you a prescription for faked symptoms.

~~~
maccard
This is a problem in regular sports too

~~~
eru
> "It would be fair to have two Tours de France - one for the asthmatics and
> one for non-asthmatics," he said. "The funny result would be that the
> asthmatics would be much faster."

From
[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2007-07-20-369...](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2007-07-20-3694433468_x.htm)

~~~
maccard
Indeed - I competed in amateur rowing while in University (and was
legitimately asthmatic) and at least 4 of the people in my crew became
asthmatic during the time that we were training together...

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beambot
So... Why not caffeine too?

~~~
chippy
Sponsorship by Monster etc (edits - but more likely because it's not
considered a performance enhancing drug in traditional sports)

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JamesBlair
>we wish to ensure we can provide a fair playing field for all participating
players

By restricting access to performance enhancing drugs to those who have the
connections to get around the screens that the ESL end up using to try and
catch people?

Here's a radical thought: it's a fair playing field if everyone takes adderal
before the match.

~~~
orf
> Here's a radical thought: it's a fair playing field if everyone takes
> adderal before the match.

Is it fair though? What about people who don't want to (or can't) take adderal
before a match. It's no more fair, it's just another playing field. One with
_more_ drugs rather than _less_.

~~~
jeeva
It's equal opportunity, at the very least. To my mind that _is_ more fair.

...but I disagree with the idea of doping up the entire competing body, for
what it's worth.

------
_pmf_
Olympic shooters are forbidden to use beta blockers.

