John Fogarty: Drug testing club players may open a Pandora’s box

MAJOR ISSUE: Limerick great and addiction counsellor Ciarán Carey says cocaine is a huge problem among young players. Pic: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

Last week’s Irish Examiner story about Tipperary club Drom & Inch’s proposal to extend anti-doping testing to GAA club players prompted plenty of comment on the airwaves and column inches over the following days.

One national phone-in radio show was driven by a combination of outrage at amateur sportspeople being subjected to such scrutiny and anger that players could either be put in danger by opponents taking cocaine. Two contributors messaged the programme to say if such a measure was introduced half of their club’s team would test positive.