h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Could he have done any of his great achievements without the drug use? Doesn't that call into question what he really was capable of?

No, I don't think so. It certainly is a blight on his reputation, but not on his ability.

The point is that cocaine isn't a performance-enhancing drug. It's not like a growth homone, steroid or adrenaline booster, where the body will benefit in terms of extra strength or fitness. It's a recreational drug, and while taking it is still a Bad Thing, it is far more likely to make a user perform worse rather than better.

Ephedrine is a performance enhancing drug - hockey players used it to get a rush before games to get psyched up. You could do a similar thing with cocaine too.

Quoting from Wia...

'As early as the late 19th century professional cyclists were using substances like caffeine, cocaine and ether-coated sugar cubes to improve performance, reduce pain and delay fatigue.'

So I stand corrected

And he tested positive for ephedrine as well, which I didn't know.

There's an excellent BBC News page on his drug addiction: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3639425.stm

thank you. That's pretty telling.