# Is alcohol a banned drug for athletes at the Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857 "2010-08-02T04:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/1 "2010-08-02T04:14:46Z")
Not that it would help you, but I am curious if it on the list of banned substances? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/2 "2010-08-02T04:19:45Z")
According to [here](http://reid.citizendium.org/wiki/Drugs_banned_from_the_Olympics), only during competition. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/3 "2010-08-02T05:15:45Z")
Yeah It is not like weed is an athletic enhancing drug but they still test for it. Twice for the snowborders šŸ˜‰ pat said only during competition but I have no doubt like any other coach in the world they would be under lock and key and not allowed to drink and party. I am sure LSD is on the list too even though a guy threw a no hitter while on it. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/4 "2010-08-02T09:28:33Z")
Do you not know what happens in the Olympic village at night? Similar, by all accounts, to the last days of Rome. Itā€™s one massive party after your particular event is finished. Certainly, I know my dad sampled much Russian Vodka during the 1980 Moscow games (he coxed the menā€™s pair for Ireland). Mind you, he also smoked 40 a day at that time to make his race weight, and coxes generally just have to be light and able to shout and steer, rather than physically fit in any way. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/5 "2010-08-02T12:27:27Z")
Archery and shooting competitors used to drink alcohol in the belief it calmed their nerves, allowing for a better aim. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/6 "2010-08-02T12:53:18Z")
So, are archers and shooters tested for tranquilizers like benzodiazepines ? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/7 "2010-08-02T13:37:26Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > Do you not know what happens in the Olympic village at night? > Similar, by all accounts, to the last days of Rome. > Itā€™s one massive party after your particular event is finished. > > Certainly, I know my dad sampled much Russian Vodka during the 1980 Moscow games (he coxed the menā€™s pair for Ireland). Mind you, he also smoked 40 a day at that time to make his race weight, and coxes generally just have to be light and able to shout and steer, rather than physically fit in any way. In days of yore when I dated an athletic director, we watched the some guy after winning some track and field Olympic event yelling, I dunno, ā€œ248! 248!ā€ He thought I was a moron that it wasnā€™t obvious to me that that was the guyā€™s room number. Evidently track people are notoriously drunk sex hounds. (Well, itā€™s a huge dorm full of healthy hyped up college kids.) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/8 "2010-08-02T14:29:41Z")
> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > So, are archers and shooters tested for tranquilizers like benzodiazepines ? Yes, and beta blockers and such. One Kim Jong-su was caught with the latter in 2008 and lost his medals. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/9 "2010-08-02T15:49:21Z")
There was a scandal at the Vancouver Olympics, several of the snowboarders tested negative for pot. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/10 "2010-08-02T16:00:08Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > There was a scandal at the Vancouver Olympics, several of the snowboarders tested negative for pot. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/11 "2010-08-02T16:12:42Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > There was a scandal at the Vancouver Olympics, several of the snowboarders tested negative for pot. ftw ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/12 "2010-08-02T16:35:21Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Archery and shooting competitors used to drink alcohol in the belief it calmed their nerves, allowing for a better aim. I remember reading about a study that proved this correct. In it, they tested target shooters and the highest cumulative scores occurred after the participants had one shot of booze. After two, their scores plummeted. I searched for it but I canā€™t find it online. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/13 "2010-08-02T16:49:35Z")
Iā€™m pretty sure there is something to the use of alcohol in shooting events, since if it hurt performance (or didnā€™t affect it), they wouldnā€™t have banned it. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/14 "2010-08-02T16:51:59Z")
Iā€™d watch a drunkardā€™s olympics. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/15 "2010-08-03T16:41:59Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > > [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > > > So, are archers and shooters tested for tranquilizers like benzodiazepines ? > > Yes, and beta blockers and such. > > One Kim Jong-su was caught with the latter in 2008 and lost his medals. The Swedish pentathlon team was disqualified at the Mexico City Olympics because one of them had drunk too much beer before the shooting event. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/16 "2010-08-03T17:09:05Z")
Seems like drunk pentathlon would be an AWESOME spectator sport. Drunk swimming! Drunk horseback riding! Drunk falling off horses! ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/17 "2010-08-03T18:03:00Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Seems like drunk pentathlon would be an AWESOME spectator sport. Drunk swimming! Drunk horseback riding! Drunk falling off horses! Drunk bobsled ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/18 "2010-08-03T18:09:28Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > Drunk bobsled Drunk luge. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/19 "2010-08-03T19:22:18Z")
Americans would medal in Drunk Biathlon. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857/20 "2010-08-03T19:39:01Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > > [@Zsofia](#): > > > > Seems like drunk pentathlon would be an AWESOME spectator sport. Drunk swimming! Drunk horseback riding! Drunk falling off horses! > > Drunk bobsled Dude. You miss the point. Drunk pentathlon has _five drunk sports in one_, all of which are pretty damned hilarious and dangerous to do drunk. Beautiful! We could get the horses drunk too! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-alcohol-a-banned-drug-for-athletes-at-the-olympics/548857.md?page=2)