Senator McCain Wants Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse and Professional Sports

U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona is calling for a Senate hearing on the link between professional sports and prescription drug abuse, ABC News reports.

McCain said he wants the Senate Commerce Committee to convene hearings on drug abuse and addiction in professional sports. The hearings should also cover major injuries such as concussions, he said. “As a specific relation to professional sports, frankly, I don’t think they’ve done enough” to address painkiller addiction, McCain said on the ESPN/ABC podcast “Capital Games.”

“I’d like to see more attention on the [sic] Congress on this whole unique aspect and dangers and hazards that are true in professional sports, especially the contact sports,” McCain said. “Why don’t we make people aware of the dangers of these painkillers, of getting hooked on them? Why don’t we do a better job of awareness?”

According to a blog by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), some professional football players may abuse prescription drugs to cover up the pain that can result from football-related injuries. The National Football League (NFL) bans players from using, possessing or distributing illegal drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, Ecstasy and PCP, as well as painkillers such as opioids.

“NFL players are tested for drugs at certain points throughout the season, and again at other times if a player fails a drug test, or is arrested in connection with drug use, or shows sign of drug abuse,” NIDA notes.

A player who violates the NFL’s drug policy once receives 90 days of treatment and unannounced testing. A second-time violation results in two years of treatment and testing, in addition to a four-game suspension if the player does not stick with the treatment or tests positive. If a player violates the policy three times and does not stay with treatment or has a positive test for marijuana, he gets a 10-game suspension, or a year-long ban from the League for using other drugs.