The NFL and Substance Abuse (1 Viewer)

[Borden]

With so many player threads (Gordon, Mathis, Lyerla and so on) being filled with substance abuse talk I thought I would start a thread with some links to help sift through everything.

NFL POLICY AND PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE
http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/files/PDFs/PlayerDevelopment/2010%20Drug%20Policy.pdf

NFL POLICY ON ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND RELATED SUBSTANCES

http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/files/PDFs/PlayerDevelopment/2010%20Steroid%20Policy.pdf

Bleacher Report Breakdown

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1875478-breaking-down-how-the-nfl-substance-abuse-policy-works

Wiki: List of players and coaches suspended by the NFL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_players_and_coaches_suspended_by_the_NFL

30 Famous Athletes Who Have Battled Drug Addiction and Alcoholism

http://drugabuse.com/30-famous-athletes-who-have-battled-drug-addiction-and-alcoholism/

Retired NFL players claim league illegally supplied addictive painkillers

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2014-05-20/retired-nfl-players-lawsuit-painkiller-addictions-illegal-jim-mcmahon-richard-dent

Farve's Addiction Story

https://web.archive.org/web/20070929120921/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=364891

I'm trying to find something that goes into what a player actually gets for addiction treatment and support. I will post that when I find it.

 

[mquinnjr]

 

[Adam Harstad]

This looks like an awesome resource. Thanks for compiling it!

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Something that hasn't gotten enough play on the board is that the NFL is considering changing its drug policy for marijuana.

Saw a recent quick video from CBS and I remember hearing that the league was considering relaxing penalties for pot use. The immpending suspension for Browns WR Josh Gordon along with changing state laws and a recent poll I saw that 95% of fans don't really care of players have taken pot doesn't mesh with the current rules and extremely-low threshold, 10 times LOWER than legal limits considering that pot isn't a PED indicates it is high time for the league to change its draconian policy for mariuana use.

Here is the LINK to the recent/brief CBS video:

http://cinesport.jsonline.com/nfl-green-bay-packers/cbs-sports-nfl-to-reduce-pot-penalties/

CBS Sports: NFL to Reduce Pot Penalties

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has announced plans to reduce penalties for marijuana use. Allie LaForce and Doug Gottlieb take a look at some reasons why.

The Washington Post, of all newspapers, did a great article about the NFL reducing its penalties for marjiuna use.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/05/14/nfls-new-policy-would-change-marijuana-discipline-report-says/

NFL’s new policy would change marijuana discipline, report says

The rules that have snared a number of NFL players for positive marijuana test results may be changing, according to a new report.

“When and if the NFL’s new drug policy is finalized and announced, it will include changes specific to marijuana and other drugs of abuse,”

ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes. The threshold for a positive marijuana test would be increased and punishment for violations involving pot would be reduced. From Graziano’s report:

Quote

The source said the NFL’s policy on marijuana is outdated, pointing out that the World Anti-Doping Agency has a higher threshold for a positive test than the NFL currently does.

The NFL Players Association has expressed to the league an interest in studying the medical research that has led to the legalization of marijuana in many states for medicinal use, but it believes changes are needed in the meantime regardless.

What is holding up the implementation and announcement of changes to the league’s drug policy is a continued standoff over arbitration of discipline. In cases of nonanalytical positives (i.e., an Alex Rodriguez-type case in which a player is found to be in violation of the drug policy by some method other than a failed test) or in cases of violations of law (i.e., a player getting caught trying to smuggle prescription drugs across the Canadian border), the NFLPA has asked that discipline appeals be heard by an independent arbitrator.

The NFL has continued to insist that the commissioner have final say over discipline matters.

A change wouldn’t help Josh Gordon, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver who is likely to be suspended for the season because of multiple positive tests over his two-year career, and other players, though. Marijuana use isn’t widespread in the NFL, Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman writes, but there are valid reasons a player might use it.

Quote

Most players use marijuana to ease the violence of the sport. There are handful that use it as a sort of crutch, I’m told. It’s not addiction, these players say, but still there is heavy use. They use pot as more of a comfort blanket than a necessity.

It helps them cope with not just the brutality of the sport but the every day stress it presents: dealing with coaches, the media, the pressure of winning, the pain of losing.

I think its time for the NFL to agree that the rules on the books aren't in-line with current sentiment with fans and they should go forward and loosen the harsh pentalties concerning marjiuana.

What say you?