In America, Major League Baseball has announced new penalties for players who fail drug tests. However, some critics claim that the new rules are not tough enough. This report from Jeremy Cooke:

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It is all in sharp contrast to many Olympic sports where any positive drug test triggers a two year ban. Senator John McCain who has joined President Bush in cause for baseball to clean up its act, said he was disappointed, but added that the rule changes do represent significant progress. The head of the baseball players' union, Don Fehr, said the new regime of drug testing and penalties would work. He stressed that the aim was to end steroid abuse rather than to punish players.

Jeremy Cooke, New York

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to demonstrate
to show

to crack down on
to take severe measures

cheats
people who do don’t obey certain rules

to restore
to bring back

fall far short of
if something falls short of something, it is not adequate, not good enough

triggers
starts or causes

to clean up its act
here, to improve, get better

regime
here, system

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