Preparing for a symposium on "The Future of Fairness" are
(from left) Associate Prof Colin Gavaghan, director of
University of Otago Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging
Technologies; Scottish ethicist Prof Andy Miah; and
University of Otago Associate Prof David Gerrard, a former
member of the World Anti-Doping Agency's medical committee.
Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
Previous opposition to "gene doping" should be rethought
and such forms of genetic enhancement embraced as a potentially
healthier alternative to performance-enhancing drugs, Scottish
ethicist Prof Andy Miah says.
Gene doping is defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada)
as "the non-therapeutic use of cells, genes, genetic
elements, or of the modulation of gene expression, having the
capacity to improve athletic performance".
Gene doping has been prohibited by Wada since 2003 and is
included in its 2004 World Anti-Doping Code.
Prof Miah is visiting the University of Otago, and from this
Tuesday will take part in a two-day international symposium
on the "Future of Fairness", which has been organised by
Genetics Otago and the university's Centre for Law and Policy
in Emerging Technologies.
Prof Miah said the extent of so-called "cheating" by recent
winners of the Tour de France showed prohibition of
performance-enhancing drugs had not worked.
In some circles, anything that looked like "doping" was
condemned as "absolutely awful".
But many of the assumptions behind such bans, including the
ban on gene doping, should be critically examined, he said.
Gene doping was, in fact, part of the growing human desire
for enhancement and improvement, not only in sport, but also
in "human culture generally".
"We take all sorts of things to make ourselves more
resilient."
In an essay, titled "Gene Doping: A reality, but not a
threat", he asks whether the decision to treat gene doping as
"morally impermissible" would stand the test of time.
"I envisage a future for humanity where gene transfer- and
many other forms of human enhancement - is sufficiently safe
for its widespread use and where it becomes an integral part
of our pursuit of good health.
"Indeed, undertaking such modifications would be considered
as normal as body piercing or cosmetic surgery."
Prof Miah holds the chair of Ethics and Emerging Technologies
at the University of the West of Scotland, and has written a
book titled Genetically Modified Athletes (2004).
Prof Ronald Green, a leading US-based specialist in genetic
and biomedical ethics, Prof Miah, and Otago University
Associate Prof David Gerrard, a former member of the Wada
medical committee, will give free public lectures from 6pm at
the Dunedin Public Art Gallery next Tuesday in association
with the symposium.
john.gibb@odt.co.nz
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