The doping act

The Act banning the use of certain doping substances (1991:1969), (the “Doping Act”), (and subsequent amendments: SFS 1999:44).

The Doping Act came into force 1 July 1992 and was amended in April 1999, when usage became a criminal offence and the penalty was increased from two to four years for the severe kind of offence. On 1 April 2011 there was a further tightening of the law. The maximum punishment for serious doping crimes increased to six years imprisonment.

1 § The Doping Act covers: a. synthetic anabolic steroids (chemically prepared male sex hormones), b. testosterone and its derivatives (chemically prepared modifications of testosterone), c. growth hormones, d. chemical substances, which enhance the production or release of testosterone and its derivatives or of growth hormones.

2 § Substances stated in 1 § may not for any other than medical or scientific purposes be 1. imported in the country, 2. transferred, 3. manufactured, 4. acquired for transferal purposes, 5. offered for sale, 6. held, 7. used.

3 § Anyone wilfully breaking 2 § 2-7 will be sentenced to a maximum of two years imprisonment. If a violation of 1 § is considered to be a misdemeanour, a fine or a sentence of maximum six months imprisonment will be imposed.

3 a § If a violation of 3 § first paragraph is considered to be serious, a sentence of minimum six months and maximum six years imprisonment is imposed for serious felony against the doping act. When judging the seriousness of the crime it shall be heeded whether it has formed a part of activities carried out on a large scale or commercially and comprising a particularly large amount of doping preparations, or otherwise been of especially dangerous or ruthless nature.

4-6 § Deals with attempts and preliminaries, forfeiture, and confiscation (shortened version). Provisions for penalties for illegal import etc are found in the Act of penalties for smuggled goods. In case of preparations not included in the doping act, offence against the Act of smuggled goods is applied (illicit handling of smuggled goods), and offence against the Medicinal Products Act.