A new doping study by anti-doping expert Sandro Donati estimates that 31 million people are involved in doping worldwide. The trafficking of performance-enhancing drugs poses a danger to society not only because of its links to organised crime but also because the cost of treating doping addicts is exploding.

The Council of Europe has nominated French sports minister Jean-Francois Lamour for president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The World Anti-Doping Agency WADA and Interpol, the world’s largest police organisation, have announced that they will start working closely together to combat the growing problems with trafficking of doping substances.

The Danish vice president of WADA, Brian Mikkelsen, has announced that he is stepping down from his top post in international anti-doping work. Mikkelsen who is also Danish Minister of Culture does not want to take over the post as WADA president when Dick Pound resigns in November 2007. Therefore he steps down in November this year to make room for a new vice president who is prepared to take over from Pound.

Work has begun on a test that can detect if athletes have used genetic doping to augment the body's own production of EPO. Funded by WADA, James Rupert of University of British Columbia in Canada and Australian scientist Robin Parisotto aim to have a prototype test ready within three years.

WADA is preparing itself for taking stronger measures in the fight against drugs trafficking. Following Sandro Donati’s presentation on drugs trafficking at the Play the Game conference in November 2005, WADA decided to invite him for closer consultations.

Knowledge bank: Dr. Wade F. Exum served as Director of Drug Control Administration for the USOC, 1991-2000. He earned both his MD (1977) and MBA (1986) at the University of Colorado and did his psychiatry residency at the University of California-Davis and Yale (1991). He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners. An advocate of reform in the way sports doping is handled, Exum is currently involved in litigation with the USOC. He answered Keeping Tracks questions via e-mail

Knowledge bank: My intention today is to give you an insight into the role played by doping control agencies world-wide, using doping control as a tool, in the fight against doping in sport.