Several state agencies are teaming up on a program to educate Delawareans playing youth sports about the dangers of opioid abuse.
The program partners with youth sports leagues in football, basketball and lacrosse.
Funded by a federal grant in response to Delawares opioid epidemic, the program gives coaches and advocates a road map to talking with young people about opioids.
Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Director Joanna Champney said young people in sports can be a high-risk population.
“We know that one of the ways a teen might become addicted to a substance is if they are injured as an athlete and they’re prescribed a prescription pain medication to manage their recovery. And the next thing they know they might find themselves addicted.”
Of the 515 total opioid deaths in Delaware in 2021, 81% involved fentanyl, a synthetic pain reliever that’s up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
“Unfortunately overdose deaths among high school aged youth increased, although drug use is down. We attribute that to the potency of the substances that are on the street today,” Champney said.
Champney added many opioid overdoses are linked to street drugs laced with fentanyl and Xylazine, an animal sedative used with cattle and horses.
Partners for the program include the Delaware Ducks football team, Duffy’s Hope basketball league, and Slingshot Family Services’ lacrosse team.
Several Delaware social and health services agencies are involved, as well.
They include the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families, the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, and the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services.
