Footballer Duane Holmes reprimanded for Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Footballer Duane Holmes has been issued with a reprimand, following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance.
Mr Holmes was tested by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) on 15 July 2024 during a training session with Preston North End. Analysis of Mr Holmes’ urine Sample returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for salbutamol. Salbutamol is a Specified Substance, listed under S3 Beta-2 Agonists of the 2024 WADA Prohibited List (the Prohibited List). It is prohibited in sport at all times. As an exception under the Prohibited List, salbutamol is not prohibited if inhaled within a specific dosage over a defined period.
Mr Holmes was issued with a Notice letter on 27 August 2024, notifying him that he may have committed ADRVs for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance, and imposing a Provisional Suspension. In response, Mr Holmes requested and undertook a controlled pharmacokinetic study to demonstrate that the AAF was caused by a permitted therapeutic dose by inhalation of salbutamol. The pharmacokinetic study did not support this contention.
On 18 December 2024, Mr Holmes was formally charged with both ADRVs. Mr Holmes admitted the violations but contested the applicable sanction on the basis that he bore No Significant Fault or Negligence.
Mr Holmes’ case was referred to The FA’s Independent Regulatory Commission (the Commission) for arbitration. Before the Commission, Mr Holmes explained that he has suffered from asthma since being diagnosed with the condition as a child. He further stated that, two days before providing his Sample, he had returned to England from a pre-season training camp in Spain where the high temperatures, and polluted air as a result of local wildfires, had aggravated the condition.
Mr Holmes sought advice from the Club Doctor through his Physio and was told he should increase his use of his inhaler. He was not told there was an 8-hour limit on the amount that could be inhaled.
Mr Holmes stated that he was aware of the limitations on dosage over a 24-hour period, but was not aware of a further limitation over an 8-hour period, introduced in January 2022. The Commission also received evidence from a registered nurse that had examined Mr Holmes and found that he had poor inhaler technique, consequences of which included the overuse of the inhaler by Mr Holmes and drug deposits being left in Mr Holmes’ mouth which could lead to an AAF.
The Commission concluded that the salbutamol found in Mr Holmes’ Sample was ingested by him by means of his inhaler which he used to treat his asthma, and that Mr Holmes likely ingested salbutamol in quantities higher than the permitted dose, in order to treat his very poor respiratory condition whilst at the training session in Spain.
The Commission went on to conclude that Mr Holmes bore No Significant Fault or Negligence for the ADRVs and, by way of sanction, issued him with a reprimand.
Technical notes
As detailed in the Prohibited List, inhaled salbutamol is permitted up to a maximum 1600 micrograms over 24 hours in divided doses not to exceed 600 micrograms over 8 hours starting from any dose.
