School athletics can serve an integral role in students’ development. In addition to providing healthy forms of exercise, school athletics foster friendships and camaraderie, promote sportsmanship and fair play, and instill the value of competition. Unfortunately, sports activities may also lead to injury and, in rare cases, result in pain that is severe or long-lasting enough to require a prescription opioid painkiller.1 It is important to understand that overdoses from opioids are on the rise and are killing Americans of all ages and backgrounds. Families and communities across the country are coping with the health, emotional and economic effects of this epidemic.
In accordance with California Education Code section 49476, school districts that offer athletic programs must provide the Center for Disease Control’s “Opioid Factsheet for Patients” to each student-athlete on an annual basis. In addition, student-athletes, and if they are 17 years old or
younger their parents or guardians, must sign and return an acknowledgment that they received a copy of the Fact Sheet before the athlete starts practice or competition. This is an annual requirement that must be met prior to the student athlete’s first official practice of the
school year.
The full document is available for download below. Students may print and return a hard copy of the document, or complete the ADF version and email it to their coach.