Should sportspeople take drugs?

Gatlin (right) faces the prospect of a lifetime ban

Should sportsmen and women be allowed to take drugs?

This question follows the predictable hue and cry over the sensational news that Justin Gatlin failed a drugs test.

The world and Olympic 100m champion announced to a stunned sporting world on Saturday that he had failed a dope test in April.

The American now faces a lifetime ban after confirmation that his B sample also tested positive for testosterone.

Gatlin insists he is clean and has no idea how it could have happened. Needless to say, many inside the world of athletics are extremely cynical about his claims of innocence.

Ben Johnson, who was stripped of his Olympic gold and the world record in 1988 after failing a drugs test, responded to news of Gatlin's positive test by saying he thought the public were not concerned about whether athletes were on drugs.

"The spectators don't care. The sponsors don't care. All they want to see is the world's fastest man - if he's running in 9.7 seconds, 9.8, whatever it is," the Canadian told BBC Sport.

But where do you stand on the subject of drugs in sport?

Is cheating here to stay or can something be done to eradicate drugs from sport once and for all?

Do you trust athletes or do you treat every one of them with suspicion?

And should sportsmen and women be allowed to take drugs to ensure a level playing field?

Use the form on the right to send us your comments, some of which will be published below.

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