A British lawmaker said in Parliament that...

A British lawmaker said in Parliament that American sports organizations are lagging in the fight against drugs.

Robert Hayward, a member of the House of Commons, said the worldwide battle to rid sports of drugs cannot succeed unless the United States stops talking and starts acting against the problem.

“There is a general belief in American society at present that they are tackling the problem of drugs in society and in sport. That is not the case,” Hayward said in a speech given in a nearly empty chamber of Parliament.

Hayward ridiculed recent calls by The Athletics Congress, the body overseeing U.S. track and field, and other American sports organizations for increased drug testing, saying they have yet to take any concrete actions.

He also targeted the U.S. Olympic Committee as a major impediment to drug-testing action, saying its approval last weekend of joint American-Soviet testing of athletes is inadequate. The USOC’s executive board approved the joint testing program, hailing the effort as a major step toward eliminating drugs from international competition because it tested athletes outside of competition.

“I’m not saying the Americans are on their own in avoiding stricter drug rules,” Hayward said. “I’m just saying they’re the worst.”