Drugs have not been one of my interests, and I have not heard a lot about
it until I came to the U.S. In Korea, using or abusing drugs are treated as a
severe violation of law. It is totally illegal. By coming to the states, I have
heard more about drugs through people I met and through the news that dealt
with the accidents or side effects of various drugs. I learned that Marijuana
is legal for medicinal purposes in 20 states (see Fig. 1). However, in Korea, anyone
who used Marijuana for any reason can be punished by fewer than 50 thousand dollars of fine or
under 5 years of imprisonment.
Fig. 1. States where
people can use Marijuana for legalized medical purpose. Source: Jolie Lee and Karl Gelles, Marijuana Policy Project, USA TODAY
Network
Many
athletes, whether student-athlete or professional athletes, they like to
celebrate their victory. There is nothing better than gathering with people to
commemorate such an occasion if it is done in proper manner, however, often is
not the case. The temptation of drinking alcohol and using drugs can be hard to
resist in such situation. According to the recent article by USA Today, “World
Anti-Doping Agency recently amended its rules on cannabis, raising the
threshold for a positive test from 15 nano-grams per milliliter to 150 ng/ml” (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/07/17/ross-rebagliati-olympics-marijuana-drug-testing/2528283/).
However the choice WADA has made, it is important for the varsity players and
professional players to remember the consequence of using any kind of drugs may
bring to the whole team and each individual’s career and health. It is highly
possible that any accident can take place when one is on the drugs, which make
a person lose control and an ability to judge correctly. It is matter of
responsibility, really. Responsible for your team and more importantly, for
your life.
As an
allied health professionals, we, athletic trainers should take time to be
well-informed with doping rules and laws. It is important to be informed,
however, it is also very important of duty of AT to inform athletes through education.
Using drugs without one’s notice is just an excuse, and it is definitely an
illegal act.
Access the article here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/27/heroin-takes-life-flagship-campus-umass-did-university-enough/KeUcRPH2VyQWmI0lhii01K/story.html
Access the article here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/27/heroin-takes-life-flagship-campus-umass-did-university-enough/KeUcRPH2VyQWmI0lhii01K/story.html
Moonsung - I so enjoy reading about our cultures perspectives and how they are both similar and different. The societal attitude toward marijuana in the US has certainly changed over the years from strict to much more laid back, and to legalizing its' use in some states. Like you, I agree that we must continue to educate our respective patients on the negative outcomes of this drug, but I also recognize the literature has shown positive outcomes with regard to medicinal purposes of canibis use especially among cancer patients. This, then becomes very 'tricky' in our educational purposes - why is its' use ok in one aspect, and not another? I know there is a very lengthy list to answer that question, and it goes beyond the scope of my comments!
ReplyDeleteMoonsung,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! You're right, athletes enjoy getting together after a victory to celebrate and that can be great, however, alcohol and drug abuse may be common in such a setting. It is important that we continue to educate athletes on the consequences of using drugs. It may be a sensitive topic to some so we have to use caution when bringing this up to athletes.
As Dr. Suanne said, the views on marijuana have changed dramatically over the years in the U.S. and it has shown positive medicinal purposes. We should continue to inform our athletes on the consequences they could face if they abuse this drug.