REQUEST SENT TO TOTAL NON-STOP WRESTLING & NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE - WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT ALREADY CONTACTED

Washington, Aug 14, 2007 - Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, joined the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), in contacting additional professional wrestling associations regarding their drug prevention efforts.  Stearns and Rush requested this information from World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. last month.
"After I called for a congressional hearings on the use of steroids and other drugs in professional wrestling, I have heard from wrestlers that steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry," said Stearns.  "Trafficking in steroids and other drugs is a felony and their use without a prescription is also a crime.  In addition to ensuring that our laws are respected, Congress has a responsibility to protect young people from the harmful impact of drug use in pro wrestling.  Some 1 million children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."
The associations are asked to outline their drug-testing policies and efforts to detect and prevent the use of steroids and other drugs.  As a result of the numerous premature deaths of wrestlers, in many cases involving drugs,  Stearns and Rush have discussed holding a hearing in the fall to look into drug use within the industry.