UKAD: 4-year ban for steroid use is a harsh punishment

Officials of the British government will be not capable to stop sportspersons importing steroids to the UK, when they come to take part in the 2012 London Olympics. However intake of steroids is banned in sports, self-administration of these products is not criminal in the UK. Just sale of steroids is considered to be criminal in this country. So, if anybody attempts to import quantity of anabolic steroids which is evidentially large, he/she will not be permitted to do it.
Before Olympic Games took place in Australia, Canada and China, governments of these countries changed legislation related to import and usage of steroids at least temporally. But the British government doesn’t agree to modify steroid legislation for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Ironically, although the British government refuses to make personal usage of steroids illegal, Britain sportspeople are banned for lifetime, if they administer anabolic steroids. As for the WADA Code, sportspeople that use prohibited drugs are banned for 2 years.
Hugh Robertson, the Olympic minister, claims that it is important to have a universal policy linked with sentencing. He insists on at least four years or even longer.  While this minister is supported by the British Olympic Association, the UK Anti-Doping Agency doesn’t agree with such harsh punishment. Andy Parkinson, the CEO of the UK Anti-Doping Agency, confirms that several sanctions must be milder.
Hugh Robertson admits that there are various points of view in sports and it’s not well but he doesn’t ask the CEO of the UKAD to resign.
The spokesman for the minister has noted that any athlete can have steroids in his/her luggage, when he/she comes to London. But the quantity of steroids should display that he/she possesses them just for self-administration. The spokesman has noted that it is not criminal for an athlete to use steroids under laws of the UK but if any sportsperson is caught using banned preparations, he/she will be punished under anti-doping laws.
The UKAD confirmed that they would collaborate with border control officials. Information about sportspeople will be used by anti-doping officers.
5, 000 drug test, including 1, 000 blood tests will be conducted by the International Olympic Committee.