Activity

At the end of the 1980’s, the Doping Laboratory (accredited by the International Olympic Committee) at the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Huddinge University Hospital, the Swedish Sports Confederation, and the National corporation of Swedish Pharmacies information department observed that the general public was searching for information about anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and about doping in general to a steadily increasing extent, outside sports.

In connection with a symposium held at Huddinge Hospital in 1992, attended by among others the new director-general of The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH-S) in Sweden Folkhälsoinstitutet, it became evident that the spread of the doping misuse had reached considerable proportions. NIPH-S concluded that the demand for information was so great that a decision was made to allocate funds to initiate a telephone service for doping issues.

It was named Dopingjouren, the Anti Doping Hot-Line, and incorporated in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Huddinge University Hospital. At the end of 1997, NIPH-S cut down its financial support of Dopingjouren.

 In 1997 Pharmacia & Upjohn entered as main financing organization in order to secure the continuation of the Anti Doping Hot-Line and were from then until the end of 1999 the only contributors. During the three years 2000-2002, the activity was mainly financed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. In 2003, the Anti Doping Hot-Line received a considerable grant increase from this Ministry and the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communication, today Ministry of Culture, which now makes it possible for us to look ahead with confidence and to be better equipped to meet the great demand for information and education, consultance, support and advice existing in our society today.

Comission:

 Excerpt from the budget proposals 2002:

In December 2001, a working party within the Swedish Government Offices presented the memorandum "Action plan agains doping within sports" (Ds 2002:4), which was referred for consideration during spring 2002. The work and activities of the Anti-Doping Hot-Line, which is located at the Karolinska University Hospital/Huddinge, is important not only from an athletic point of view but also from the public health perspective. ”The memorandum proposes that the future funding of the Anti-Doping Hot Line be guaranteed and that research, education and information regarding doping should be intensified. The government has decided to increase the grant and that the activity is permanent onwards. By this reinforcement, the Anti-Doping Hot Line will be able to develop its work, among other things by searching and compiling knowledge, increasing the outwardly directed, preventive work, and by expanding contacts with other county councils”.