WASHINGTON – The United States will increase to $1.45 million funding for an organization that combats drug use in athletics, the head of National Drug Control Policy (search) said Wednesday.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (search) is an international organization that receives $10 million a year from the Olympic Movement (search) and world governments. Through this new formula, the United States will pay 50 percent of the $2.9 million paid by the Americas annually and Canada will pay 25 percent with $725,000.
The Americas — the United States, Canada and the other countries including Central America, South America, and the Caribbean — are responsible for $2.9 million, or 29 percent of the funding.
"Since President Bush's State of the Union challenge to remove steroids from U.S. professional athletics, great strides have been made on this issue," said Director John Walters. "When athletes use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, they endanger their health, rob competitive athletics of their legitimacy, and set a harmful example for children."
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