Nevada commission cracks down on drug use

Boxers and mixed martial artists who plan to compete in Nevada were sent a clear message Friday: “Be clean or be gone.”

The Nevada Athletic Commission approved sweeping changes for dealing with drug cheats in combat sports, ratcheting up the suspensions and fines and ultimately calling for lifetime bans for repeat offenders.

The four-member panel approved tougher laws for violators who use sedatives, opiates, marijuana, diuretics used to cut weight, stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines and anabolic steroids, and for those who avoid testing and detection by using masking agents.

If the regulatory statutes can be rewritten in time, the commission is hoping to enact the new policies Sept. 1. But that date may be a bit ambitious, and Oct. 1 may be a more realistic start date.

The commission will continue to follow the standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency as it pertains to what substances are banned for competition.

“It was a great first step,” NAC chairman Francisco Aguilar said. “I’m extremely pleased. Now we’ll be able to implement the policies the way we need to. Everything will be clearly spelled out.”

Commissioner Anthony Marnell III said: “We’re sending a message that it’s a zero-tolerance policy in Nevada. If you’re in violation, we’re probably not going to see you again.”

The most severe penalties are for athletes who test positive for steroids and attempt to avoid detection. A first-time conviction for steroids, which includes testosterone and human growth hormone, will be three years and a fine of 50 to 75 percent of the offender’s purse. A repeat offense will result in a four-year ban and 75 to 100 percent fine. A third offense will result in a lifetime ban.

“I don’t think you should condone cheating,” said commissioner Skip Avansino, who pushed for harsher penalties for first-time offenders than originally had been proposed. “I think we need to ratchet up the penalties because the current levels don’t seem to be any kind of deterrent.”

The commission also will ramp up its efforts to educate fighters on the dangers of using illegal drugs. As part of the licensing process, athletes will be required to either read materials supplied by the commission or watch a video and sign off on having done so to compete in Nevada. The materials will be in English and Spanish and could be expanded to include other languages such as French, Japanese and Portuguese.

“This is an important component in these changes,” commissioner Pat Lundvall said. “We want to make sure the athletes and their camps understand this is being done for their safety and benefit.”

Aguilar said: “We’re not only putting the onus on the athletes to behave responsibly, but we’re also putting the onus on us as a commission to see to it that we help educate them so they know what is and what is not permitted.”

Athletes who are found guilty and refuse to pay their fines in a timely manner will be subject to indefinite suspension, with that suspension to be honored by other state commissions. Currently, more than $200,000 in fines are still owed to the state.

In addition to the penalties, the NAC also approved changing the record of a fighter who is found guilty of violating the anti-doping policy from a no contest to a loss with an asterisk next to it to indicate the defeat was because of a positive drug test.

Lundvall said the four commissioners were in lockstep on the changes and she was pleased in the unified message they were sending to the combat sports world.

“It’s a simple message — don’t dope,” she said. “Anyone who violates our policies, we’re going to come down hard on them.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj