Carter Ashton, a Maple Leafs forward, has been suspended 20
games by the NHL. During the suspension, he will go without pay, forfeiting
approximately $170,000. Ashton apparently tested positive for a banned
substance, clenbuterol. He said that it was from his inhaler. He released a
statement saying that while training for the 2014-15 season, he suffered an
asthmatic spasm. One of the other athletes he was training with that summer
gave him an inhaler, which he then felt immediate relief. Ashton kept the inhaler
and used it a second time during training camp when he started to have another
asthma episode. Since he was using the inhaler only to treat his asthma
symptoms, he did not think that there were problems with it. Clenbuterol allows
the body to burn stored fat calories so you have more energy. Ashton now
recognizes why him using this particular inhaler is wrong, and he decided not
to appeal his suspension. He stated that, “at no time was I seeking to gain an
athletic advantage or to knowingly violate the terms of the program.” He has
since been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma by the Toronto Maple Leafs’
doctor, and has been prescribed an inhaler that does not violate the NHL/NHLPA
Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
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