Young athletes at the peak of their performance are often told to push through the pain of an injury. This usually means popping more and more prescription painkillers every day. Experts believe that many of the 22,000 Americans dying each year due to painkiller addiction (National Safety Council) are athletes who got hooked after suffering injuries.
Athletes Hooked On Prescription Painkillers
Doctors Overprescribing
Overprescribing painkillers by doctors has become a huge problem, as doctors sometimes authorize a six to eight months’ supply instead of one. While this approach may be convenient, it allows athletes to take advantage of the amount they can take at once. Using these medications not as prescribed can lead to painkiller abuse and addiction. Despite these concerns, the danger of these pills is often overlooked by doctors when a top student-athlete is in need of pain relief. Even more concerning, the power of the prescription is often extremely strong and thus extremely addictive.
States are Fighting Back
A number of states are attempting to curb the number of pills doctors can authorize at one time. For example, Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (a statewide nonprofit) is pushing legislation that would inform the patient and their family that these prescriptions are addictive substances. It sounds like common sense, right?
Wrong. Doctors are fighting back because they feel that this legislation would encroach on their practices.
Despite these setbacks, local, state, and federal initiatives to prevent opioid misuse have continued to expand. One notable example is the National Institutes of Health’s HEAL program. This is a federal program with a focus on preventing opioid misuse in individuals aged 15 to 30. The program also is examining risk factors that may preclude individuals to misuse painkillers. They also are committed to increasing access to preventative measures to reduce opioid misuse.
What Parents and Coaches Should Watch For
As a parent, teacher, or coach, you may never think that a great student and athlete would get hooked on these medications. However, high school athletes are one of the groups at highest risk of developing an addiction to pain medication according to the Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse. Because students are at a “risk age” for abusing drugs, parents and coaches should be looking at the behavior and motivation of injured athletes. Are they suddenly missing practices? Are they responding in an uncharacteristic overly emotional fashion to everything?
Better alternatives to prescription drugs include physical therapy, chiropractic appointments, acupuncture, and even ibuprofen. Additionally, student athletes should not be pressured to return to competition before they are fully recovered. This pressure can be a contributing factor leading to painkiller addiction and misuse. The recovery time might be a little longer, but the wait is worth it compared to a life-threatening addiction. Not being able to compete or play may feel like the end of the world but it’s nothing compared to an addiction that results in never playing again.
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