Major League Baseball & Drug Testing: A Legal Critique of the Current Policy and a Look at the Future of Drug Testing in the MLB

Abstract

(2 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 1, 2005). This article traces the history of drug testing in major league baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2004. It focuses on the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program incorporated into the MLB collective bargaining agreement covering 2002-2006. The article identifies vagueness and a lack of enforcement as flaws in this program, resulting in a lack of deterrence. The use of a drug program as a bargaining tool between the players’ union and the owners also leads to ineffective policies. The author calls for stricter enforcement and harsher penalties.