Apr 26, 2016Proposed Bill Aims to Prevent Drug Abuse
Wisconsin representative Ron Kind and two of his colleagues are working on a bill to increase awareness of prescription drug abuse in an effort to prevent student-athletes from becoming addicted to pain medication.
According to weau.com, the John Thomas Decker Act, named after a lacrosse player who died of a drug overdose earlier this year, would involve researching what athletes know about abusing prescription drugs, and take steps to prevent them from becoming addicted.
”This is about getting ahead of the curve and making sure there is adequate information reaching the students and their families in regards to the use and misuse of opioid drugs that are being prescribed to them,” Kind said.
Erin Reichow, Athletic Trainer for Memorial High School, said she and her staff do what they can to ensure that athletes can play again, but do not recommend the use of opiates.
“That’s the biggest thing, we really focus on prevention here and good technique and proper sporting equipment,” Reichow said.
