Since 2000, OxyContin<\/a>, heroin<\/a> and other opioids have ravaged communities throughout the United States. Painkillers have claimed the lives of thousands of Americans, and have led to opioid addiction<\/a> in countless others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deadliest drug crisis in U.S. history<\/a>, the opioid epidemic has affected people of all ages and backgrounds. Despite their remarkable physical traits, professional athletes have even felt the effects of painkiller misuse. Opioids: A Painful Problem for the NFLAmong athletes, NFL players might be most familiar with the dangers of opioids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the physical nature of their sport, NFL players often take opioids like OxyContin to alleviate pain. However, opioid misuse in NFL locker rooms has escalated, and many former and current players are feeling the effects of addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Football players are no strangers to injuries. During his Hall of Fame career, retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre<\/a> endured a separated shoulder, fractured bones, nerve damage and sprains to the ankle, hand and thumb. He also suffered a number of concussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of injuries, Favre turned to opioids. In the 90s, he developed an addiction to prescription painkillers. In 1995, at the height of his substance use disorder, he took as many as 14 Vicodin at once. That year, he was presented the league\u2019s MVP award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is really amazing, as I think back, how well I played that year,\u201d\u2019 Favre told Sports Illustrated<\/a> in 2018. \u201cThat was an MVP year for me. But that year, when I woke up in the morning, my first thought was, \u2018I gotta get more pills.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite his on-field success, Favre\u2019s health was a concern. He eventually entered rehab, where he learned to manage his addiction. Like Favre, many NFL players have dealt with prescription opioid misuse after trying to cure physical pain. But opioid use after injury isn\u2019t the only way for an addiction to develop. In some cases, emotional turmoil can result in opioid misuse that brings about addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mental illness has caused countless football players to use painkillers. Athletes experiencing anxiety or depression often use opioids to numb their psychological pain. However, this strategy can exacerbate depressive thoughts and could bring about addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Former quarterback Ryan Leaf began using Vicodin after a shoulder injury in college. However, he quickly developed a dependence to the drug after team doctors distributed batches of painkillers to players. His reliance on these drugs continued when he entered the NFL. When his NFL career ended prematurely years later, he used the painkiller to reduce his emotional hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While in the throes of addiction, Leaf would go to great lengths to experience a high. He told The Dallas Morning News in 2016 that he would go doctor shopping<\/a> in order to gain access to more opioids. He was even arrested for attempting to steal painkillers. While dealing with a substance use disorder, Leaf experienced anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy drug dealer was an orthopedic surgeon or a doctor at an urgent care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the help of rehab, Leaf entered recovery. Today, he is a brand ambassador for a sober-living company and gives speeches to young NFL players about the realities of addiction. While he may not have lived up to his potential in the NFL, Leaf is optimistic about his future helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he told USA Today<\/a> in 2017, \u201cI\u2019m only 40 years old, and I\u2019ve got such an amazing opportunity ahead of me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2016, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson retired from the NFL. During his illustrious career, Johnson set a number of franchise records and dazzled fans with his athletic ability. He told MLive Media Group<\/a> that pain caused by playing in the NFL led to his retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an interview with ESPN<\/a> shortly after his retirement, he talked about the challenges of dealing with injuries while in the NFL. He said team trainers and physicians were passing out painkillers \u201clike candy\u201d in locker rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you were hurting, then you could get \u2019em, you know. It was nothing,\u201d said Johnson, who underwent knee, ankle and finger surgeries during his nine-year career. \u201cI mean, if you needed Vicodin, call out, \u2018My ankle hurt,\u2019 you know. \u2018I need, I need it. I can\u2019t, I can\u2019t play without it,\u2019 or something like that. It was simple. That\u2019s how easy it was to get \u2018em, you know. So if you were dependent on \u2018em, they were readily available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ubiquity of painkillers in NFL locker rooms isn\u2019t a new development. In 2011, a survey commissioned by ESPN examined opioid use in the NFL. In the study<\/a>, 644 former players were asked about their use of painkillers during their playing days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the survey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2015, more than 1,600 former players filed a lawsuit against the NFL<\/a>, claiming that league doctors and trainers recklessly supplied players with opioid and anti-inflammatory painkillers in order to keep players healthy enough to play. An amended version of the complaint accused teams of not having informed players of the long-term implications of painkiller use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2017, The Washington Post<\/a> reviewed court documents in the lawsuit filed by former players. The documents indicated that the NFL violated federal laws associated with handling and dispensing drugs. The report found that the average NFL team dispensed nearly 5,777 doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 2,213 doses of controlled medications, like Vicodin, to its players in 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eugene Monroe may be the most outspoken opponent of opioid use in the NFL. In an opinion piece for The Players\u2019 Tribune<\/a>, the former Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman said that painkillers have been heavily dispensed in NFL locker rooms for decades. He even suggested that teams encourage the use of opioids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since his retirement from the league in 2016, Monroe has been a vocal supporter of using marijuana<\/a> as an alternative form of pain management for NFL players. While some studies have suggested that marijuana legalization could decrease prescription opioid misuse and overdose, researchers do not have enough evidence to confirm this theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, marijuana isn\u2019t a harmless substance. Cannabis is a Schedule I drug<\/a>, which means that it has a high potential for abuse. Research shows that marijuana is addictive<\/a> because it causes compulsive drug-seeking<\/a> despite knowing the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Former players aren\u2019t the only ones grappling with the effects of opioids \u2014 current players do, too. Travis Kelce, currently the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, received opioids after his first surgery while playing in the NFL. He quickly developed a dependence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDuring my first surgery, I had no idea that these pain medications were something that I was going to want, that my body was going to want, and that I was going to feel uncomfortable if I didn\u2019t have these,\u201d Kelse told The Kansas City Star<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, Kelce\u2019s dependence never evolved into addiction, but the experience inspired him to partner with the health care provider Cigna to foster a public conversation about the dangers of prescription painkillers. The program offers resources and tools intended to educate people about the effects of opioids and help those at risk for opioid misuse to learn effective prevention methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOpioid addiction, it\u2019s something that\u2019s very serious, but it\u2019s something that can be avoided,\u201d Kelce said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To avoid opioid misuse, players need to know the dangers of painkillers. Former NFL lineman Jeff Hatch, who was addicted to prescription painkillers during his career, said that that the NFL needs to better educate young players and offer comprehensive addiction services in order to alleviate widespread misuse among current and former players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe NFL makes billions off these players\u2019 blood and sweat and it\u2019s time for the league to address this problem and step up with a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program for ex-players,\u201d Hatch wrote in an opinion piece for Yahoo! Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people are more susceptible to addiction than others \u2014 especially individuals with a history of drug use or those with relatives who have experienced a substance use disorder. Being addicted to opioids or other drugs does not make you a bad person. It just means you need help. The best way to receive assistance is to seek opioid addiction treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Do NFL Players Use Opioids?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Common Are Opioids in the NFL?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
NFL Players Voice Concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n