Darts Player Receives Six-Month Ban Following Positive Drug Test

Professional darts player Dom Taylor has been handed a six-month suspension by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) after testing positive for cocaine and cannabis during the World Darts Championship. This ban comes after Taylor was already prohibited from participating in all PDC events in December and was forced to forfeit his £25,000 prize money from the tournament. A disciplinary committee hearing found that the drug use occurred prior to the championship, but as this is Taylor's second offence, a mandatory six-month ban is required under DRA regulations. The DRA stated, 'The Committee were satisfied that Mr Taylor's ingestion of both cocaine and cannabis occurred out of competition and was not following the commencement of the World Championship.' As a result of this offence, Taylor will also lose his Tour Card. Taylor had previously apologized for 'blatant lying' after his test failure led to his removal from the World Championship, where he had defeated Oskar Lukasiak 3-0 in the first round. This is not Taylor's first ban, having served a one-month suspension in 2025 for a failed drug test at the Players Championship Finals in November 2024. The initial two-year ban was reduced after Taylor agreed to undergo a UKAD-approved Substance Abuse treatment programme.