AHS Views

Steve Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith, has been very out-spoken against drugs for a couple of decades now. When he checked into a rehab center to get drug addiction help, it was a big surprise. How could this happen to someone so obviously against drugs, who hasn’t taken anything in 20 years?

Tyler recently revealed that the problem was prescription drug addiction. It started the same way it does for many people, including plenty of high school and college athletes: He was given painkillers and sleeping pills to handle the pain caused by a series of foot and leg surgeries. In fact, Tyler’s injuries were caused by his athletic stage performances.

You really have to watch out for athletes and drug use. They want to play - and if it hurts too much there’s a good chance they’ll take something for the pain rather than sit on the sideline.

Prescription drug addiction help services are available, and we have to make sure our athletes - and anyone else being given painkillers or other drugs for a temporary situation - only take the drugs for a short time. If it goes on too long, they’re likely to need the help of a medically supervised drug detox program to get off them - and might need addiction help services as well.

Some of these prescription drugs are just as addictive as the worst street drug and are just as hard to kick. If your son or daughter has been involved in an injury, make sure they’re no longer taking the prescription drugs they got at that time. And if you find they are, get them the addiction help services they need.