Uscf, fide, and ritalin

Hi, I found out recently that the uscf drug tests for ritalin. I'm assuming fide does also.

I have adhd and may have to start taking ritalin. Does this bar me from ever playing tournament chess? Or is there an exception for people with prescriptions?

I know they allow blind individuals special priviledges. I can't imagine they would bar mentally handicap individuals the right to their medications, but google didn't help in my search.

Also, has caffeine been removed from the banned substances list?

I have never heard of the USCF doing drug tests. Have any information about it? Links, etc.

Ok, that makes me feel better. Thank you both.

Oh, sorry Martin. 

"Safety and efficacy aside, cognitive enhancers are rife with other ethical issues. Most people consider it akin to corking a bat, including the U.S. Chess Federation, which agreed to begin drug testing for caffeine, amphetamines and Ritalin in 1991, saying the substances could provide an unfair advantage."

from  http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/neuro/ritalin/revving_the_brain.html

which reposted it from the Chicago Tribune (By Julie Deardorff (c) Chicago Tribune, March 7, 2004).

I don't know if it's true or not. Also, I read another site that said something about 2001, but I can't find it again.

The USCF doesn't have the money to do such widespread testing. Even players in the US Championships are not drug-tested.

No problem, I was just wondering where you had heard of it. I did some searching after I posted and it appears that it was discussed at one point it was decided that no drug testing would be done; this was on the USCF side at least (in 2002, not sure about earlier). What I found was this page on a USCF resolution to not drug test, laying out the reasons why.

I know in the US it would almost be impossible to enforce any type of drug testing, unless it was at the highest levels anyway.

Thank you, Martin. That was a most helpful link. You are really close by; perhaps I'll see you around the Joplin area sometime!

the reason it should be allowed is because it wont help people that already can concentrate good like u think, it would only help the people with problem concentrating.