Ex-NFL player to discuss opioid abuse

Student athletes at Jefferson Township High School will receive information about the risks of prescription opioids from a quarterback with first-hand knowledge of their devastating impact.

Former NFL player and New Jersey native Ray Lucas will headline a program at 11 am. Tuesday, Aug. 20, as part of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative, organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in collaboration with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).

The initiative aims to engage high school students and educate them about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of maintaining physical and mental health.

High school athletes are particularly vulnerable to opioid misuse, often because of injuries that require pain management.

“Our goal is to empower students with the knowledge they need to make safe, informed choices about their health,” said Angelo Valente, executive director of PDFNJ.

Lucas, a former standout quarterback at Rutgers who had an eight-year career in the NFL, will share insights from his battle with opioid misuse, which began after his professional playing days, and his journey to recovery.

Lucas has spoken candidly about his struggles and focuses on empowering youth to make informed decisions about prescription medications.

In a recent 12-month survey by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 12 percent of male athletes and 8 percent of female athletes had used prescription opioids.

A Monitoring the Future survey also found that adolescent participants in high-injury sports had 50 percent higher odds of nonmedical use of prescription opioids than adolescents who did not participate in these types of sports.

According to NJ CARES, there were 2,564 suspected overdose deaths in 2023, and in Morris County, there were 69 suspected drug-related deaths.

Supported through grants by Horizon’s philanthropic arm, the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative is now in its fourth phase.

The initiative began with the Town Hall Series held in all 21 counties in 2017 and 2018. The program expanded in 2019 and 2020 to include a prescriber education webinar, parent education through PDFNJ’s 5th Grade Parent Alert and community outreach via a statewide awareness public service campaign.

The second phase also included community town halls, which were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and held as webinars in the spring and fall of 2020.

The third phase of the partnership focused on student-athletes and featured NJSIAA in a collaborative role. Lucas served as the keynote speaker at 10 events throughout the state.

The fourth phase of the program kicked off May 1 at Don Bosco Preparatory High School, where Lucas shared his story off addiction and recovery with the entire student body of about 700 students.

After the Jefferson Township High School event, the series will continue Oct. 10 at Sussex County Technical School in Sparta.