Some Dr.’s May be Contributing to the Problem

Teen drug abuse can actually begin with a doctor. Even the brightest, most on-track teenager would be hard put to combat the addictive properties of Oxycotin. The potency of this medication goes far beyond the realm of teen addiction, crossing into the lives of successful adults who, like the unwary teen, can become an inadvertent addict in the course of treatment for legitimate pain. The culprits are the doctors who blithely prescribe these drugs, thus supplying those users who are so addicted that they “doctor shop”, seeking the easy mark. And there are plenty of unscrupulous physicians who supply them. Other culprits, as in the case with the teen below, are those coaches who do not spare their athletes, who, in fact, know and abet the use of these drugs to keep them playing and practicing when injured.

Some Athletes Start Using Drugs to Continue to Play

“Bryant Atkinson felt the push to return to the football field at Brigham Young University after each of his three knee surgeries. Repairing a torn meniscus is a rather routine operation nowadays, and players are expected to jog within a day or two and run sprints in about a week. Atkinson followed the prescribed workouts, though his knees didn’t feel right. “You really don’t have a choice but to get in and start running,” he said. “I knew I shouldn’t be doing it, but there’s so much pressure to get on it and practice.” Atkinson also followed the prescribed dosages of Lora tab or Percocet he was given, at least after the first two injuries. It wasn’t until his third surgery that he started swallowing pain pills for more than pain. But opiates did become a problem for him, eventually leading to a heroin addiction, an arrest and jail time.” (Unknown source) Teen Drug Substance Abuse in the Locker Room By Ann Walker