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Addiction and athletes: Who's to blame?

It's almost a natural progression," said Sandra Knowles, a Provo psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in addiction.

When people do not have the education about the what could happen. How many drug classes are manditory on BYU campus to show what could happen to people and families by using Valiums to Morphine? Reality Check. Utah is Number ONE in presption drug use. NOTE when you start scratching and it feels goods . you are in trouble.

Teach that in school and it is like a eight sided sign. And if you do not know what that is please stay off the road and you need help. please get it

I agree that this is a very serious issue. The athletic programs of each school (if they don't already) should require all of their athletes to take some sort of educational course on prescription drug abuse/pain killer addiction. The coaching staff and training staff should be more cognizant of the pressure athletes are placed under to perform. Articles like this one help spread awareness that will hopefully lead to action. What I do not agree with is that issues like this will give certain people reasons to scream for BYU to shut down their football program. How ridiculous! Football isn't the only program BYU has that can have incidents that could cause negative publicity. No matter how hard you try, you can't avoid some people making poor choices. If someone from the marching band or some other school program somehow messes up publicly, will you call for BYU to cancel that program as well? Like I said, it's absolutely ridiculous. The publicity generated by the football program creates far more positives for the school than negatives, by far!

For all those who might needle my marching band example, realize it is just an example. Obviously the football program is a little more high vis than most other programs, but that's not the main issue. Taking away a school program because some people mess up and create bad publicity is the issue that I disagree with. You might as well take away people's ability to choose. The honor code isn't enough for some people apparently.

Thanks for all these articles...it has raised my own awareness. I see this as a potential problem for any athlete in any sport. As a mother of a daughter who wants to dance on pointe...this concerns me. I don't know who is too blame....but certainly prevention should be a priority for every athlete, athletic programs, attending physicians and parents. It is sad to see bright people with potential lose their futures and there lives. So sad! Thank for making us aware how vulnerable anyone can become to drug addiction.

I don't believe BYU is the only school out there with the problem, even though the reporter seemed to like using it as the only example. I also believe alot of the pressure comes from the coaches to rush these players back into the line-up before they are healed. But, the players themselves have to take responsibility for their addictions. They made the choice to continue taking them cause they wanted to play before they were ready. They cared more for the sport rather then their own health. I also feel that schools need to have a special class for these athletes about pain killer addiction so they can know the danger, and make it mandatory.

I am a nationally certified and state licensed athletic trainer who works at a local high school. This problem extends to the over-the-counter drugs as well. This year a football player passed out during a game. I discovered on the sideline that he had taken double the prescrition amount of ibuprofen before the game started. In some cases, this could be a lethal dose. This is only one of the many reasons I chose not to even carry ANY OTC or prescription meds at the high school. The risk is too high and the problem would only be compounded. I get asked by athletes, coaches, and even school staff if I carry any meds. Some get very aggrivated to learn that I don't. It's just not worth the risk, at all. Please parents, talk about the risk with your athletes, even if it is a minor thing like a sprained ankle. Also talk with your doctor to see what is appropriate before and after games/practices.

Until people stop looking for answers to their problems externally rather than taking the inward journey, you will always have some with dependency problems.

Why do we need them at all? The dangers far outweigh the benefits. Addiction or pain relief? Its silly.
How many times we hear people taking these things for mild aches and pains as well.
A bunch a wimps. Suck it up. No need to come home with prescribed pain medication ever!!!
We can endure pain without them. Non addictive forms can help and then the rest is up to you to deal with it. Since when was pain considered such a thing that we have to avoid at all costs.
I've had doctors look at me in shock when after back injuries, motorcycle accidents etc and I turn down their take home goody bag.
They dispense it too freely.
It doesn't matter who's to blame.
NO NEED FOR THEM AT ALL!!

I am a licensed substance abuse counselor, working for a treatment provider here in SLC. This is a hugh problem throughout the valley. Not just in the athletic arena. We are experencing a hugh rise in the painkiller abuse. Which leads directly to the use of heroin. I recently had a University of Utah student, who got hurt while riding a bike. He became addicted to pain killers and when "Doctor Shoping." He had 7 different doctors prescribe him pain killers. He went to a pharmacy and got 100 pills one day, went to a different pharmacy and used his middle name and got 90 more the next. These pills sell for up to $2,00 per mg on the street. When they run out of pills they can get heroin much cheeper and easier. This problem is becoming bigger than Methamphetamine in the SLC valley. It starts out incecently for most everyone, not just atheletes. The community, Doctors, Dentists, and legistslators need to be educated on how big a problem this is becoming. Lives are being ruined due to addiction to opiod pain killers.

my nephew played for byu in the 80's. He later was injured at geneva steel and became addicted to pain meds. We thought it would kill him but he finally overcame it a couple of years ago and looks healthy again. People don't realize how terrible these can be.

I was an athlete at BYU in 01-04. I got injured in the weight room and immediately was prescribed pain killers and muscle relaxants. My injury eventually required a couple surgeries. I got hooked on the drugs after a while. During my time there I learned of dozens of athletes addicted to these things. athletes always asking me for some. Not only pain killers but Ambien as well. This is a huge problem, not only at BYU. There never was a prevention course. Just the warning on the prescription saying 'this medication may be habbit forming if taken for a long period of time'. Yet I was prescribed them for quite a long period of time(6 months).
Anyway, there needs to be prevention as well as options for athletes who do become addicted.

These articles were interesting, but left a bad taste in my mouth. Way too much skewed towards BYU. Irresponsible reporting.

I think everyone has some blame in this issue. I think one of the hardest thing to understand in medicine is someones pain level and tolerance to pain. Everyone is different. So when you deal with people who have chronic pain, they take these pills to numb the pain, but also numb them from the reality they face everyday with confronting the pain they have.

I think the medical world should never prescribe narcotics over a long period of time without strict monitoring and also pyschological monitoring of the patient. Doctors do a really good job at treating the pain problem, but they fail to see the problem that is created from taking opiates over a long period of time. Addiction to these pills is horrible. They are hard to come off, especially if you are facing a chronic pain situation.

As a Human Resources executive for a large West Coast corporation, I see how much pain medication is prescribed and how often it is abused. I can tell you that prescription drug abuse is at an all-time high, while abuse of illicit drugs has declined. It is not just in athletics, but in every aspect in life. The difference is athletes may have more instances of injuries where pain-killers are prescribed and therefore more potential access. I think we as parents need to teach our kids, especially by example, that pain medication is addictive and to only use it sparingly. Hopefully athletic departments will also teach them the same.

There was a time when there was some irresponsibility on behalf of the program. In the mid-1980's The team doc would walk down the aisle of the airplane on the way home from an away game. As a freshman playing just special teams and not being injured, I was still offered pain pills. When i refused other older players got on my case--i was suppose to accept them and then give the pills to the players that wanted them. The whole medical and training staff was replaced, and I can't imagine they don't monitor it much more closely now.

I just wish that sports could be just that..sports! Why is it so important to win at all costs? Play for the fun and enjoyment of the games.
Playing when you should not is crazy.

Its good to see that the Deseret News ran this story, and it is good to see that BYU agreed to acknowledge that it has had problems. Undoubtedly this is a problem at EVERY college football program, and all teams should be monitoring the issue with a microscope.
Im quite sure that BYU, nor any other school, wants to contribute to, yet alone cause, addictions in their athletes -- even if it means losing a game. Further, Im sure the kids who have become addicted, would have never considered taking pills had they known the devastating consequences associated with this addiction.
My heart goes out to these kids, as well as their families, and I hope schools and society can educate and get these kids the help they need. Just like the article said, most of these kids who are addicted started b/c of a legitimate injury. Good luck to Atkinson, his family, and all others who battle or will battle this extremely addictive drug.

this problem happens everywhere. The article likes to emphasize the problem at BYU only because some people feel that as a church school there might be an element of hypocrisy. Personally I don't buy that. I am a practicing physician and see opiate addiction daily in my practice. It has gotten totally out of hand. People's lives become ruined by these. I feel for them and wish them well.
I don't think highlighting the problem at BYU is helpful. All college athletics deal with this issue.

Why do we need painkillers? You are kidding me right? What about the woman who has a hysterectomy or the soldier in Iraq who has his arm blown off? Or, more appropriately, what about the football player who snaps his leg and his bone is sticking out? Or, even on a smaller level, have you ever had a kidney stone?
The problem, of course, is that these individuals can become addicted -- but there is no way these pills should be completely banned. They serve a vital, medical function.

Our is a drug culture.
No religion, creed, race, or college is immune from it.