The Coaches vs. Overdoses program is a national campaign to provide coaches, parents, student-athletes, and communities with resources to tackle fentanyl and defeat overdoses. Formed in 2022 with the help of Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy White, who lost his son-in-law to an overdose, the program serves as a vehicle to promote proper drug disposal and provides prevention awareness education to families. Today, the effort includes coaches, football hall of famers, parents, law enforcement, and local, state, and federal leaders from across the country.
The top cause of death for young Americans, under 40 years old, is an accidental overdose. Deaths in the United States involving any opioid have risen 4-fold since 2010 with fentanyl making up the bulk of those deaths in recent years. Surveys have found 49% of teens who misuse prescription drugs get them from friends or family. Fentanyl is now frequently found in counterfeit products such as fake pills and fake vapes. All it takes is 2mg of fentanyl to kill someone.
Coaches and communities are teaming up to tackle fentanyl and save lives by using the power of sports to share prevention, education, and awareness resources. Studies show every dollar spent on youth prevention saves an estimated $18-$58 dollars long-term. In many cases, a coach becomes a mentor or parent-figure for student athletes and this relationship can help emphasize prevention education materials and become an important figure in a student athlete’s life, especially as teenagers rebel and stop listening to their parents.
Starting at a couple dozen schools in Texas in October of 2022, the program was hosted at 453 high schools across the country across five states, including Texas, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, and South Carolina. Through the statewide program in South Carolina, the program and its messaging were able to reach over 278,000 people, including 104,450 high school aged students and 125,000 adults. The program has now spread to nearly every other state across the nation.
Pro Football Hall of Framer
Dallas Cowboys
Executive Director
South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association
Founder
Fentanyl Fathers