PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Collins, Gregory B.
AU  - Pippenger, Charles E.
AU  - Janesz, Joseph W.
TI  - Links in the chain: an approach to the treatment of drug abuse on a professional football team
DP  - 1984 Sep 21
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 485--492
VI  - 51
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/51/3/485.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/51/3/485.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med1984 Sep 21; 51
AB  - The authors describe the first comprehensive drug-abuse program established for a professional football team through a cooperative effort by the team’s management and a psychiatrist/substance- abuse specialist. Cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol were the major drugs abused. Contributing factors included developmental immaturity, unhealthy environment, isolation, idle time, high income, overreliance on athletic talent, and minimal accountability. A total team commitment was mobilized to deal with the complex problems of the drug-involved player. This program has led to significant improvement in 75% of cases over an 18-month period. All participating players have improved their playing ability. The approach described here is offered as a model for use by professional athletic organizations and offers hope that the current epidemic of drug abuse among professional athletes can be abated.