Athletic Director Signup for Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day
Use of opioid painkillers, while sometimes necessary, does raise the risk of addiction, especially in children. Legitimate opioid use before high school graduation is independently associated with a 33 percent increase in the risk of future opioid misuse after high school.
Also, people who participated in at least one interscholastic sport during high school had higher odds than non-athletes of being approached during their lifetime to divert their opioid medications.
This troubling data makes it clear that the opioid epidemic is a serious threat for high school athletes, and it is crucial that athletes, parents, coaches and school administrators are educated on the dangers of prescription opioids and actions that can be taken to prevent opioid misuse and heroin use.
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day is a perfect opportunity got New Jersey high schools to help spread that message. The statewide initiative, held in October, relies on volunteers to distribute information to raise awareness of the risks of prescription opioids and their link to heroin use.
Last year, a number of schools incorporated the event into athletic contests during October to inform parents and other spectators on the issue. Ways to spread this potentially lifesaving information on opioids include:
- Handing out materials, provided free of charge by the Partnership, that educate spectators on the risks of opioids, as well as resources to learn more about prevention and addressing addiction
- Making public address announcements before and during games informing spectators of the startling statistics of the opioid epidemic and how they can learn more
- Hold in-school activities emphasizing prevention
For more information, email Matt Birchenough at media@drugfreenj.org.