IT would be foolhardy to think that Jamaica’s image would not be harmed by the doping scandal involving several of our athletes, including the much loved Mr Asafa Powell, and just before that, the iconic Mrs Veronica Campbell Brown.

Yet, we must admit to being greatly surprised by the immediate conclusion in so many quarters about how badly the Jamaican name (brand) has been hurt — irrevocably, according to some — without any recourse to objective surveys.

Of course, the main reason for the global admiration of Jamaica has been our emergence as a sprint powerhouse, far beyond the minuscule size of our country and population. But perhaps even more significantly, that we achieved all that without the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs banned by the 14-year-old World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

That, however, has not stopped those who remain convinced that it is not possible for such a small country to achieve such heights in track and field without resorting to drugs. In this vein, the revelations about Mr Powell, Mrs Campbell Brown and Miss Sherone Simpson, among others, would have been the proof they were waiting for to say ‘I told you so’. Indeed, there are those who have long believed that all Jamaicans are ganja smokers.

We are not in a position to speak on the degree to which Brand Jamaica has been hurt at this early stage. However, we suggest that the Ministry of Tourism and more specifically, the Jamaica Tourist Board, should immediately mobilise their public relations and marketing programmes in the international marketplace, first to determine the extent of damage done, and then to assure admirers and visitors that Jamaica is not drowning in illegal drugs and that we are not a nation of dopers.

Truth be told, in a long tradition of producing sporting greats dating back to the 1940s, the likes of Herb McKenley, Arthur Wint, Merlene Ottey and now Usain Bolt and Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, we have only about 20 or so athletes being associated with the use of banned substances, which is by itself a feat, given how easy it is to fall afoul of the ban on drugs. We note that Ms Ottey was cleared of wrongdoing and some, like Mrs Fraser-Pryce and Mr Yohan Blake, received a three-month slap on the wrist for innocence, as against Mr Steve Mullings’ life ban after a second doping offence.

The latest incidents suggest that we — all our sporting associations — must take more seriously the business of public education, especially aimed at athletes and would-be athletes. There is now a substantial body of information on performance-enhancing drugs, so there is no excuse for ignorance.

The use of such drugs by professional athletes has been regarded as a growing problem since at least the 1960s, a time when even state-sponsored drug programmes were tolerated among rich developed countries. It gained prominence in the last 20 years after some big names, such as Jamaican-born Canadian Ben Johnson, were banned. The sensational Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigation featured many top athletes admitting to drug-taking or exposing others who did, including American Marion Jones.

Like it or not, the problem has arrived here. And it won’t be going away anytime soon.