NFL Suspends Six

From the National Football League and NFL.com:

The NFL announced Tuesday the suspension without pay for four games of six players -- Charles Grant, New Orleans, Deuce McAllister, New Orleans, Bryan Pittman, Houston Will Smith, New Orleans, Kevin Williams, Minnesota and Pat Williams, Minnesota -- that violated the NFL Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances.

The players specifically violated a longstanding provision of the policy relating to the use of diuretics and water pills, which serve as masking agents for steroids and are potentially dangerous to the health of players.

The policy states that the use of so-called “blocking” or “masking” agents, including diuretics and water pills, is prohibited and that a positive test will not be excused because it results from the use of a dietary supplement that unknowingly contained a banned substance. Supplements are not regulated or monitored by the government and players have been warned about the risks of supplement use.

“You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body,” the policy has always stated. “Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal…Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances…If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take.”

The six players are each suspended for the final four games of the regular-season. If the player’s team qualifies for the playoffs, he is eligible to return to the active roster on Monday, Dec. 29.

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