WADA publishes 2024 Prohibited List

MIES (Switzerland) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published the 2024 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List), which was approved by WADA's Executive Committee during its meeting on September 22 and will enter into force on January 1, 2024.  

Also published is the 2024 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes as compared to the 2023 List; and the 2024 Monitoring Program, which includes substances that are not on the List but that WADA wishes to monitor in order to detect potential patterns of misuse in sport.  

The List is one of the eight International Standards that are mandatory for all Signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). It designates what substances and methods are prohibited both in and out of competition and which substances are banned in particular sports. 

Major modifications for 2024 

All Major Modifications for 2024 are outlined in the 2024 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, including the following particular information regarding tramadol: in September 2022, the WADA Executive Committee endorsed the recommendation by WADA's List Expert Advisory Group to prohibit the narcotic tramadol in competition, effective January 1, 2024. The delay in implementation was to provide an additional year to allow enough time for stakeholders to learn and adapt to this change.  

Tramadol has been on WADA's Monitoring Program and data gathered through that program have indicated significant use in sports. Tramadol abuse, with its risk of physical dependence, opiate use disorder and overdoses, is of concern worldwide and has led to it being a controlled drug in many countries. Research studies funded by WADA, as referenced in the Explanatory Note, have also confirmed the potential for tramadol to enhance sports performance. 

The Therapeutic Use Exemption Program

It should be noted that for athletes who have a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance or method that is on the List they can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) to determine whether they meet the criteria outlined in the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE). The TUE Program is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport which has overwhelming acceptance from athletes, physicians and anti-doping stakeholders. Click here for FIBA's TUE application form.

Educational Resources

In addition to the documents linked above, WADA has provided or will provide, a number of educational resources as part of its Code Implementation Support Program (CISP), which can be accessed on the WADA Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL).

The 2024 Prohibited List; the 2024 Summary of Modifications and Explanatory Notes; and the 2024 Monitoring Program are available for download on WADA's website in English and French, with Spanish to follow in the coming weeks. 

FIBA