New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer to introduce bipartisan legislation combatting opioid abuse by student-athletes
NEW MILFORD, N.J. -- U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday announced new bipartisan legislation to combat the growing problem of student-athletes using opioids.
A mother who lost her 22-year-old son to a drug overdose shared her pain with CBS2's Meg Baker.
Gail Cole held a picture of her son Brendan, a Bergen County-native who died of a heroin overdose in 2014. He was a senior at the University of Richmond.
"Brendan's story was one of how a handsome, outgoing young man, who was so full of life and hopes and dreams, went from being prescribed opioid pain medication in 2009 before he attended University of Richmond, at age 18 and again in 2010 at age 19, and that transitioned to a heroin addiction," Cole said.
Cole said she did not know how dangerous or addictive the medications were, but trusted the doctor after her son had surgery for a sports-related injury. She's on a mission to educate families.
"Students and especially student-athletes are at risk, and both they and their parents need to be educated so they lose the mindset of 'not me, not my kid,' because that's what we thought," Cole said.
This week, Gottheimer will introduce the bipartisan Student-Athlete Opioid Prevention Act after a 75 percent increase in overdose deaths of students since 2017.
"This bill will deploy new federal investments to educate students and young athletes and train coaches and educators on the signs and dangers of opioid and substance abuse including key strategies for prevention," Gottheimer said.
Officials said opioid overdoses among all age groups increased during the pandemic.
Federal investments will go toward targeted training sessions to prevent the use of the drugs and signs to look for in students who may be abusing them.
"It will help schools bring in athletic trainers and experts to promote injury prevention strategies to avoid a need for opioid painkiller prescriptions in the first place," Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer cited research that showed other young people got hooked on pills from an unfinished prescription bottle found at home or taking and sharing pills at a party.