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2012 has seen extensive press coverage over the use of strong painkillers within the NFL (National Football League). The coverage has been two-fold. First, in a bid to raise awareness and overcome taboo, players, including former Dolphin Ray Lucas, have spoken out about their devastating opiate-based painkiller addictions.
2012 has seen extensive press coverage over the use of strong painkillers within the NFL (National Football League). The coverage has been two-fold. First, in a bid to raise awareness and overcome taboo, players, including former Dolphin Ray Lucas, have spoken out about their devastating opiate-based painkiller addictions.
Second,
the NFL is facing legal challenges in court over its use of Toradol. It
is claimed that this drug, which is used to reduce pain and
inflammation levels, has been over issued by the league.
Players
challenging the NFL argue that they were pre-emptively injected with
the drug, which prevented them from accurately assessing the gravity of
their injuries, in turn preventing them from getting necessary medical
treatment. As a result, players claim they suffered multiple, and
dangerous, concussions.
Painkiller Addiction: Ray Lucas’ Story
Against the backdrop of legal challenges being brought against the NFL
and heightened levels of press interest in painkiller addiction
surrounding the Olympics, Ray Lucas took the brave decision to speak
out. By telling his story, he hopes that others will be encouraged to
get the help they need.
In
an interview with HealthPop, Lucas described how he spent large sums of
money and subjected his family to ‘hell on earth’ in a bid to feed his
opiate painkiller addiction. He also acknowledged how hard he found it
to ask for help:
‘The hardest thing for addicts is to ask for help’, stated Lucas. ‘For me to reach that one person out there who thinks they’re alone – I thought I was’.
Lucas
explained how he became addicted to painkillers. First, he took only a
few painkillers. Then, as his body began to increase in tolerance, he
began to take more. Prior to his back surgery, he took in excess of 120
painkillers per month.
Following
his back surgery, which considerably reduced the level of physical pain
Lucas experienced, the footballer believed he could stop taking opiate
painkillers. Instead, however, he discovered that his body had become
opiate dependent. Without the drugs, he would violently shiver and
sweat.
The NFL: An Uncomfortable Parallel
Though individual players are beginning to speak out about their
personal struggles with painkiller addiction, uncomfortable questions
must be asked of the NFL. Can the NFL support players withdrawing from
opiate addictions when injecting players with Toradol, a powerful
anti-inflammatory NSAID, which some researchers believe may have
addictive qualities?
Legal
actions against the NFL could result massive compensation pay-outs. To
date, 50 cases, involving in excess of 1,200 players, have been filed.
Of these 50 cases, twelve are specific to the use of Toradol. In each
case, the claim is similar. The NFL, despite knowing associated risks,
purposely concealed these risks from players. This concealment resulted
in repeated head injuries.
Experts
believe that winning the law suits will not be easy. First, proving
that NFL drug administrators were aware of associated risks will not be
straightforward. Second, proving exactly when and where head injuries
were sustained will be problematic; while the NFL administered the drug,
linking the league to catalogues of historic injuries will pose a
challenge.
Finally,
and in the NFL’s favour, violence and football are integral. Though
tackles to the head are banned, other forms of physical contact, which
could also result in head injury, are not.
As
with opiate addiction, it is the devastating impact of Toradol usage
that has brought the issue into the public domain. The recent suicide of
Junior Seau (San Diego Chargers) was directly linked to depression
caused by recurring head injury.
Painkillers: Overuse and Addiction: Accessing Help
In their recent testimony to Congress, the American Society of
Interventional Pain Physicians reported that US residents consume
approximately 80% of globally produced opiate painkillers. Numbers of
long-term Toradol users are also rising.
Recognizing
that opiate addiction stretches beyond the sporting world, the society
explains that patients usually develop an addiction to drugs following
initial use for pain relief. When no longer able to access prescribed
drugs, patients turn to internet and back street suppliers. The society
highlighted the risk that rising numbers of opiate babies will be born.
Help
for this wide spectrum of US residents is developing, with former
Dolphin Ray Lucas, pushing it forward. A champion of Turntohelp.com,
Lucas encourages those affected to seek treatment. Further,
Lucas
advocates the use of Suboxone, an anti-addiction drug which
can be used, in conjunction with other treatments, to support
withdrawal from opiate addiction. Additionally, there are several
Florida based opiate withdrawal support services. These services include
support groups, group therapy and both inpatient and outpatient opiate detox programs.
-- This piece is courtesy of Evelyn Robinson. Post comments and responses "below the fold"
