You can never win your reputation back is the message being promoted by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) in a new awareness campaign, warning athletes of the risk of cheating through doping.

Minister for Sport the Hon Kate Ellis MP launched the national public awareness campaign, which features promotional material displaying the confronting image of an athlete injecting a prohibitive substance.

Minister Ellis says the national campaign sends a strong message to athletes that cheating through doping is unacceptable and can ruin their sporting reputation.   

‘This confronting poster sends the important message to athletes that doping is never okay and that your reputation, once lost, is something you can never get back,’ Ellis said.

‘Doping can ruin an athlete’s health but it can be just as damaging for an athlete’s reputation and ultimately has the potential to end careers.’

‘We want to remind athletes that this risk is real and that doping in sport is simply not worth it.'

ASADA is the Australian Government agency responsible for protecting the right of athletes to participate in doping-free sport.

It uses three key strategies to achieve pure performance in sport through:

1. Deterrence
2. Detection
3. Enforcement.

In addition to its doping control program, ASADA works together with the Australian sports system to deter athletes from using performance-enhancing substances through a comprehensive education and communications program.

This campaign is the latest addition to ASADA’s deterrence initiatives and aims to discourage athletes from contemplating doping.

ASADA encourages everyone involved in sport to visit asada.gov.au and find out more about the risks and repercussions of doping.

The campaign will run through June and July, targeting athletes and their support staff.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) works with ASADA to ensure that Australia has a world-renowned anti-doping program and that Australian sports comply with the World Anti-Doping Code.

It requires all ASC-recognised and funded national sporting organisations and national sporting organisations for people with disability to adopt World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policies that are approved by ASADA and to submit to its jurisdiction.