This weekend has produced the most singularly disappointing news in the world of athletics.

Two of the greatest names of the last decade – maybe even the sport’s history – Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, have failed drugs tests.

Among my fellow athletes, coaches and friends within the track and field fraternity, there has been nothing short of dismay at the announcements that hit the headlines across the globe on Sunday evening.

Whilst the extent or culpability of doping in the cases of these two men is yet to be confirmed – and I hope for their sakes that they were irresponsible rather than ill-intentioned – I would like to discuss my attitude to doping as a whole.

The actions of any athlete who knowingly decides to take performance-enhancing substances is morally reprehensible and ethically deplorable.

However, I believe that the athletes are not the only ones guilty of perpetuating this practice of cheating.

How any institution, governing body, or international authority cannot take the strongest of lines against doping in sport is quite astonishing.

Last year’s ‘legal’ defeat of the lifetime Olympic ban on drugs cheats demonstrates the moral ineptitude of many members of global society who profit from what, in my opinion, is nothing short of moral criminality.

Doping is not going to be eradicated if drug cheats do not face greater ostracisation.

It is a shame that there isn’t greater praxis put into solving these problems.

There needs to be more out-of-competition testing, greater international involvement in the global anti-doping movement, and a conclusive cross-sport debate.

A six-month ban, a two-year ban, even a four-year ban is not enough. It needs to be a lifetime ban.

Too many convicted cheats continue like nothing happened and hope that future performances will be their redemption and their acceptance back into the sport, once they have ‘served their time’.

Doping is the age-old debate that taints and embroils athletes, national governing bodies, governments and international institutions.

But it has to be tackled with greater conviction and alacrity.

Those who defend, perpetuate or encourage it on any level are base, corrupt and demonstrate the most malevolent side of human nature.

Drug cheats need to be deterred and punished with greater force before global sport becomes the beacon of corruption that it is steadily being shown to be.