The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published its 2024 Prohibited List. The Prohibited List designates the substances and methods that are prohibited in sport.

Following an extensive consultation period by WADA, the 2024 Prohibited List was published on 27th September 2023. This gives athletes and support personnel sufficient time to make themselves aware of the changes, review any medications they use on Global DRO, and apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) if required before the updated List comes into effect on 1st January 2024.

Included on the 2024 List is the substance tramadol which will be banned in-competition from 1 January 2024. Tramadol is an opioid analgesic and is classified as a prescription only medicine in the UK. Tramadol misuse is of concern because of the risks of physical dependence, opiate addiction, and overdose. It has led to it being a controlled drug in many countries. If you are concerned about tramadol misuse, please reach out to Bowls England or speak to your doctor prior to the change in status on the 2024 Prohibited List.

Please visit UK Anti-Doping’s website here to read a full summary of the changes on the 2024 List.

The following resources are also available to read on WADA’s website:
• The full 2024 Prohibited List
• The WADA 2024 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes
• The 2024 Monitoring Program which includes substances not currently on the List but are being monitored by WADA for potential patterns of misuse in sport.