Darren Cooper

A sprained ankle. A broken finger. A separated shoulder. A twisted knee.

These injuries are all relatively common for high school athletes in 2017. Treatment often begins with a visit to the school’s athletic trainer, maybe X-rays and a visit to a doctor.

What the Partnership for Drug Free New Jersey hopes is that these injuries never lead to opioid addiction.

“We have a statistic that shows that male athletes are twice as likely as non-athletes to become addicted to opiates and heroin,” said Angelo Valente, the Executive Director at the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey. “Children prescribed opiates before the age of 18 are 33 percent more likely to get hooked.”

Seeing the link between pain relieving medication and high school athletics, there is a push to raise awareness about the severe issues that can result. Northern Highlands is one of almost 30 schools in North Jersey bringing the issue directly to its student population, starting with announcements in school, and culminating with an information table at the home football game next Friday against Mahwah.

“We have all been touched by issues of addiction both personally and professionally,” said Northern Highlands athletic director Bob Williams. “We want to do whatever we can to educate people.”

Williams said the aim among Bergen County athletic directors is to have this initiative go statewide.

“We want to focus on athletes and prescription drugs and get that out to people to maybe think twice before having their kids take a strong medication, because there’s a direct correlation to long-term prescription drug use and addiction,” said Williams.

That’s exactly the message that Valente is hoping to get across. He said the goal is to try to change the entire culture of how pain and injuries are treated in athletics.

“I think in many cases, up until recently, both the prescriber and the patient and families weren’t aware at how dangerous these drugs can be,” said Valente. “I think that’s changing.”

It all seems to start innocently enough. A player gets hurt. He/she wants to still play. One way to make that possible is by taking an opiate drug. That drug, like Oxycontin or a Percocet, reduces the pain and provides a strong feeling – a high, let’s just say – to the athlete.

It becomes a vicious cycle. First the athlete takes the drug so he/she can play. Then the athlete turns to the drug for the high alone.

“Unless there is pain that was unbearable and no other way to remedy it, you should always opt out [of opiates] for a child,” said Valente. “If so, one or two days maximum.”

Valente said studies have shown, especially in young people, an opiate can change brain chemistry in less than a week. He said in extreme cases, further down the road, the athlete becomes addicted to heroin, which provides the same kind of high.

“What we have learned is that over the last several years, we need to look at alternatives to opioids, and if they are prescribed, it should be on a limited basis,” said Valente adding that Tylenol and physical therapy are other options.

One North Jersey athletic trainer told me that he’s not allowed to prescribe medication, and can’t even give a kid Advil. When a player is injured, they typically warn parents against using the strong medications sometimes prescribed.

Obviously, this is an issue that transcends sports. Valente even said that one of the bigger prescribers of opioids is a dentist, usually after a wisdom teeth extraction. This can also start a young person down the road of addiction.

Valente said recent laws that mandate that the prescriber discuss with the parents of children under 18 about the dangers of opiate addiction and some alternatives has been a “game changer.”

There is no slogan for this effort, no colored ribbon as a symbol, or main spokesperson. Friday is Knock Out Opiate Abuse Day and Valente said his organization will have 2000 volunteers working to get the message out about the dangers of opiate abuse throughout the state.

Giving details and having a presence at high school football games is just one step, but an important one. This is a game that’s just beginning, but it’s one that needs to be won.