counselling and addiction service, will spit out a number.

Meaningless by itself, that number represents one of the thousands of individuals who participate in Island sports. The person to whom that number belongs will soon receive a phone call and Bermuda's effort to rid sports of drugs will be underway.

The call will be from Benedict's Vaughn Mosher and he will be asking to set up an appointment for you to appear at his office in the next 24 hours in order to provide a urine sample.

No one else will know.

Someone of the same sex will have to watch you, however, although there is no need to undress.

You will be free to go in about 15 minutes, after witnessing the precautions that are taken to preserve the sample.

There are actually two samples, the first of which is screened for five illicit substances: Cocaine, Cannabinoids (including marijuana), Opiates (including heroin and even some over-the-counter medications), Methamphetamine (speed) and PCP.

Tests are sensitive enough to reveal the presence of, say, marijuana ingested two weeks earlier.

Within several hours, a screening may reveal the presence of any of these.

If it does, the second sample will determine how much and you, along with the national governing body of your sport, and the Bermuda Council for Drug-free Sport will be notified.

You will be offered counselling or you will automatically receive a one-year ban from all sports. Or you can appeal the process.

Tests take place year-round, meaning a swimmer could be tested in February or a soccer player in July.

SPORTS SP