Ashton Suspended

[moon111]

My son has two inhalers prescribed by the doctor.  One is a steroid.  I've taken it after getting all congested after messing around with dust and dog hair. (which I'm allergic to)  I almost made the Leafs after that puff.

 

[Bender]

My son has two inhalers prescribed by the doctor.  One is a steroid.  I've taken it after getting all congested after messing around with dust and dog hair. (which I'm allergic to)  I almost made the Leafs after that puff.

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/12/1473.full.pdf

I don't know what he was thinking not getting a doctor to look at it before training camp. He must really not care about making a ton of money.

 

[Bullfrog]

Maybe as someone without pharmaceutical knowledge, he made a mistake?

I hear it happens.

 

[Frank E]

Maybe as someone without pharmaceutical knowledge, he made a mistake?
I hear it happens.

I don't think anyone is arguing that he didn't make a mistake, I think they're trying to determine what degree of moron Ashton would have to be to make the mistake of  injesting unprescribed drugs, as a pro athlete.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Maybe as someone without pharmaceutical knowledge, he made a mistake?

I hear it happens.

Yes, it probably does happen, but Ashton, being an athlete, and knowing that there are policies out there that are specifically tailored to combat the usage of PEDs, should have been more aware of this.

The Leafs have a doctor on staff and he should have immediately sought the help of a medical professional.

There aren't really too many excuses for Ashton and he knows it. What's surprising is the amount of $ he needs to forfeit in light of the fact that he doesn't make anywhere near a high salary (for an NHLer).

 

[moon111]

Or maybe he looked at it this way.  Take the steroid and have a possible chance to make the NHL, with the possibility of getting caught, or be stuck in the AHL.  Nothing gained, nothing lost.

 

[Highlander]

My bet is he has developed some adult Asthma (I didnt get it till in my 40's), and found himself in some difficulty.  Some guy or friend hands him an inhaler and he gets relief, sounds like this delivers astounding relief, far better than Symbicort or Ventoline and he continues to skate like before.  He heads to camp as an outsider and doesnt want to alert the staff to any sort of problem (and being a new problem, as a kid, hopes it goes away, hell I was in denial of my problem for a long time) and resorts to the inhaler again, and gets popped.  Yes stupid, but probably more naive and as we all know, we do pay for our mistakes big time. So his costly error hopefully becomes a screen that all other Leaf hopefull view and learn from.
And hopefully he has not screwed his career in the process.

 

[bustaheims]

Or maybe he looked at it this way.  Take the steroid and have a possible chance to make the NHL, with the possibility of getting caught, or be stuck in the AHL.  Nothing gained, nothing lost.

If that were the case, why wouldn't he have continued to take it instead of getting an alternative, legal prescription from the team's doctor, like he did? He screwed up, but there was no malicious intent here. He just made a stupid mistake.

 

[Highlander]

Just to let you know that steriods taking through a ventolator system remain in the lungs and are impractical for the benefits of say, HGH which is injected directly to the abdomen

 

[Bullfrog]

Or maybe he looked at it this way.  Take the steroid and have a possible chance to make the NHL, with the possibility of getting caught, or be stuck in the AHL.  Nothing gained, nothing lost.

If that were the case, why wouldn't he have continued to take it instead of getting an alternative, legal prescription from the team's doctor, like he did? He screwed up, but there was no malicious intent here. He just made a stupid mistake.

That's the way I see it. It's possible he took it with intent of improving his performance, but I find that unlikely. He made a mistake, got caught, and now has to face the consequences.

 

[Bates]

If the story according to Carter is true this sentence does not fit the crime.  It's an asthma inhaler used by someone with asthma.  He didn't use HGH for F's sakes.

 

[Highlander]

Yes but the inhaler he used was from Russia or some other place, not from North America. None of the legal or pharmacutical inhalers like Symbicort and Ventoline, contain the substance that he is accused of taking.
It is illegal in the US as far as I know.

 

[L K]

Yes but the inhaler he used was from Russia or some other place, not from North America. None of the legal or pharmacutical inhalers like Symbicort and Ventoline, contain the substance that he is accused of taking.
It is illegal in the US as far as I know.

Ventolin (Salbutamol) is a short acting Beta-2 agonist drug.  It basically stops constriction of the small muscles in the lung to open up the airways.
Symbicort has a longer acting Beta-2 agonist to help open up the airways as well as a steroid to decrease inflammation in the airways.

The problem with Clenbuterol is that in addition to being a longer acting Beta-2 agonist (so it just opens up the airways) it is has weight loss properties and can actually increase lean muscle mass.  It's not really a drug that is going to help with endurance but it does improve your body metabolism.

On a scale of bad drugs to take, I would put it fairly low on the 'horrible cheater' scale, but bottom line, it's banned, Ashton needs to know what he is putting in his body and regardless of situation, you don't just take medication that isn't prescribed to you.