Regulations Amending the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations: SOR/2022-139

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 156, Number 14

Registration
SOR/2022-139 June 21, 2022

CRIMINAL CODE

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, under subsection 204(9)footnote a of the Criminal Code footnote b, makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations.

Ottawa, June 13, 2022

Marie-Claude Bibeau
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Regulations Amending the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations

Amendments

1 (1) Paragraph 1(d) of the schedule to the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations footnote 1 is amended by striking out the following:

(2) Paragraph 1(d) of the schedule to the Regulations is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

2 Section 2 of the schedule to the Regulations is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

Coming into Force

3 These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Description

The Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations (the Regulations) are designed to protect the integrity of pari-mutuel betting on horse races authorized under section 204 of the Criminal Code. Drugs and medications administered to race horses could affect the outcome of a pari-mutuel race. Drugs that are veterinary medications approved for sale in Canada may be administered to a horse but, with few exceptions, including vitamins and some antiparasitic and antimicrobial agents, must not be present in a horse’s system when it races.

This amendment adds the drugs arsenic, hydrocortisone, and mirtazapine to the Schedule of prohibited drugs in the Regulations. It also amends references to zilpaterol hydrochloride, currently listed in the Schedule to the Regulations.

Alternatives

There are no appropriate alternatives.

Benefits and costs

The impact of this amendment will be positive because the prohibition of a potentially performance-altering drug will continue to protect the bettor, the integrity of the racing industry, and the credibility of the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency’s (CPMA) Equine Drug Control Program.

There are no significant costs or environmental impact associated with this regulatory amendment.

Consultation

The CPMA consults with its drug advisory committee, consisting of veterinarians, pharmacologists and chemists, when proposing to add a drug to the Schedule. The Committee supports this regulatory action.

Arsenic is considered a performance-altering substance with considerable gastrointestinal toxic effects. Because arsenic is naturally occurring in the environment, horse urine contains low levels of arsenic. This amendment will add arsenic to section 2 of the Schedule, and adopt the international threshold of 300 ng/mL in urine to control the use of arsenic in Canadian race horses.

Hydrocortisone is a potent steroidal anti-inflammatory (not anabolic). It is often used to treat allergies and other inflammatory conditions. It will be added to section 1 of the Schedule.

Mirtazapine is an antidepressant used to treat a wide range of conditions, from behavioural problems to loss of appetite in cats. The addition of this substance to section 1 of the Schedule is consistent with the approach for other antidepressants.

Zilpaterol hydrochloride is currently listed in section 1 of the Schedule. This amendment will remove the word “hydrochloride,” and clarify that any zilpaterol preparation, metabolite, derivative, isomer and salt should not be present in the sample. Due to the potential of these drugs to be used to influence the performance of a race horse, the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA), in consultation with its drug advisory committee, has determined that these drugs should be added to the list of prohibited drugs in the Schedule to the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations.

Provincial racing commissions continue to endorse the CPMA’s Equine Drug Control Program, including the maintenance of the Schedule of prohibited drugs.

Compliance and enforcement

Information on additions to the Schedule is provided to all industry sectors, so that those responsible may make responsible decisions respecting the administration of drugs and medicaments to race horses.

Compliance with the CPMA’s Equine Drug Control Program is accomplished by the testing of post-race samples of urine or blood taken from race horses. Positive results are reported to the provincial racing commissions for appropriate action under their Rules of Racing.

This amendment will not increase the current requirements for compliance and enforcement activities.

Contact

Lydia Brooks
Manager
Research and Analysis
Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
P.O. Box 5904, LCD Merivale
Ottawa, Ontario
K2C 3X7
Telephone: 613‑949‑0745
Email: lydia.brooks@agr.gc.ca