Chairman Waxman Releases Letter Regarding Illegal Steroid Use in Professional Wrestling

On Friday, Henry Waxman, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released a letter he sent to Office of National Drug Control Policy Director John P. Walters. In the letter, the Congressman notes that 40% of the WWE wrestlers tested positive for steroids and other drugs in 2006. Over 40% of the TNA wrestlers tested in 2008 tested positive for steroids and other drugs.

The letter ends with the committee's conclusion which states:

The evidence obtained by the Oversight Committee indicates that illegal use of steroids and other drugs in professional wrestling is a serious problem that the wrestling organizations are not effectively addressing. One former wrestler who agreed to talk to Committee staff on condition of anonymity explained that, in the wrestling business, "steroids are like white socks and tape, they're just part of your gear,"

Since the Committee began its investigation last year, both the WWE and the TNA have made efforts to improve their steroid testing programs. But these efforts suffer from a lack of independence and transparency. As a result of these weaknesses, the organizations appear unable to effectively prevent the use of steroids and other illegal drugs by professional wrestlers.

Over 3 million children and teenagers watch professional wrestling each week. The apparently widespread use of steroids in professional wrestling sends the wrong message to youth. For this reason, I request that ONDCP examine steroid use in professional wrestling and take appropriate steps to address this problem.

The most interesting part of this letter comes in the form of the back-up documentation. In addition to the stats, TNA's drug policy has finally been made available to the public as has the sworn testimony of Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Linda McMahon, Dixie Carter, and a few of the doctor's involved in the testing process. These hundreds of pages of documents are must-read materials for every wrestling fan. Click here to read the letter and all the interviews in .pdf format.

_{Photo of Henry Waxman: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images}