By Ashlee Tulloch
Maria Sharapova's failed drugs test has brought the topic of doping back into public discussion and it couldn't have happened at a more convenient time for Drug Free New Zealand.
Drug Free Sport NZ's Scott Tibbut says their phones have been running hot ever since.
"Maybe it's raised some of the awareness which is great for us, it will also help younger athletes become aware of the dangers of just taking medication or perhaps popping something they're not aware of," Tibbut said.
But a new online programme the organisation has just launched is focused on educating athletes so there's no excuse to taking something that could actually be banned.
"It's a comprehensive programme so our aim is that our athletes have a good understanding of what they require to know out there in the big bad world so to speak," Tibbut said.
Drug Free Sport NZ chief executive Graeme Steel is currently in Switzerland at the Word Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) annual conference where IAAF president Sebastian Coe stood his ground that first time offenders should receive life bans.
"This is a personal view: I actually favour life bans. I always have done. I don't believe any longer that we are in a world where there is any ambiguity about this."
WADA director general David Howman was also giving the hard line - claiming there's no excuse for negligence towards doping when their list of banned substances is published every year at the start of October.
"This has been going on now for 13, 14 years since we started taking control of the list in 2003 so it's not new to athletes, it's not new to administrators, it's not new to athletes' advisors," Howman said.
And if Drug Free Sport have their way - Kiwi athletes will be educated enough to not make any mistakes including marking October 1 on the calendar.
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