Tall Blacks rookie Taane Samuel has been handed a one-month sanction by the Sports Tribunal after testing positive for MDMA - commonly known as ecstasy - earlier this year.
Drug Free Sport New Zealand revealed Samuel's punishment in a statement this afternoon, stating the 23-year-old tested positive for the drug after an NBL fixture in May.
DFSNZ said Samuel attributed his positive test to a spiked drink he’d been given at a party two days before the game but he went on to acknowledge that although his attitude at the time had been cavalier, he regretted his actions.
The test mars a positive 2022 for Samuel after he played this year's Australian NBL for the Brisbane Bullets and made his Tall Blacks debut at February’s World Cup Qualifiers in Manila.
MDMA, scientific name methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is a stimulant which increases levels of dopamine and can lead to increased energy, empathy, and a sense of euphoria.
The party drug is prohibited under section 6 of the WADA Prohibited list. It is also a Class B illicit drug in New Zealand and is prohibited in New Zealand sport under the Substances of Abuse category.
Rules under said category acknowledge that some substances are abused outside of sport and athletes can be allowed to reduce their ban with completion of a Substance of Abuse Treatment Programme.
DFSNZ said it's only the second time they have made use of those rules since they were established in 2021, and chief executive Nick Paterson is supportive of the approach.
“It’s an approach to sanctioning created with the long-term health and wellbeing of athletes at heart. That being the case, we believe that getting Mr Samuel support for substance abuse and back to sport after serving his sanction is the most practical outcome," Paterson said.
Samuel's suspension was scheduled to finish yesterday but should he fail to complete his drug use programme, the ban will be increased to three months.
"This is also a reminder to other athletes that recreational drugs are banned in sport and can – and do – lead to sanctioning," Paterson added.
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