Anti-Doping Education Programmes in Albania
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Peja E.1, Hoxha B.2 Department of Health and Physical Activity, Faculty of Recreation and Physical Activity, Sports University of Tirana, Albania 2 Institute of Sport Research, Sports University of Tirana, Albania
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Abstract This paper provides a commentary on the European Council’s recommendations about educational and information anti-doping strategies in Albania, along with world – wide academics views on strategies in the fight against doping. The need to design and co-ordinate the implementation of such programmes is imminent, because it is now acknowledged that investment in long-term, values-based education programmes may be more appropriate than detection-based deterrence activities, especially for a developing country as Albania that struggles to fund sport in general. At the most explicit level, that of discussing on where anti-doping education in Albania stands at present, it is argued about attempts in this area by several stakeholders like the National Anti-Doping Commission, the Ministry of Education and Sport, the Sport Service Agency, The National Olympic Committee and Sports University of Tirana. An important question arises: who should be addressed and who should be included in anti-doping education? At a deeper analytical level, it is argued on recommendations and clues to effective anti-doping education programmes. It is recommended to refer to evidencebase anti-doping research that allows the application and evaluation of key elements of effective anti-doping education and to examples like the WADA Alpha program or equivalent. At the end, it is suggested that we should seek strategies for communication on anti-doping education that can bridge differences in knowledge and interests of multiple actors. Keywords: Albania, Anti-Doping Education Programmes
Introduction
Since November 2011, Albania enjoys the status of a country whose rules are completely compliant with the WADA Code, by being among the first signatories of the Copenhagen Declaration for recognition of WADA AntiDoping Code and by the ratification of the UNESCO International Convention against.
Doping in Sport by Law no. 9623, dated 16.10.2006 (Monitoring Group, 2015). Nevertheless, according to the report, adopted at the 42nd meeting of the Monitoring
Group of the Anti-doping Convention, on May 2015 in Strasbourg, Albania has not yet satisfactory fulfilled the obligations under the Anti-Doping Convention, even though the political commitment has been met (Monitoring Group, 2015). Among the many recommendations, presented in the report, a primary focus is given to anti-doping education programmes. The obligation of the Albanian NADC (National Anti-Doping Committee) to design