FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2022

Contact: Natalie Golub, 973-382-4560, natalie@drugfreenj.org

Former NFL Quarterback Ray Lucas Shares Personal Story of Opioid Addiction and Recovery with Lakewood High School Student Athletes

Virtual Event Kicked Off Renewed Knock Out Opioid Abuse Program

LAKEWOOD, NJ— The Partnership for a Drug-Free (PDFNJ) and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), kicked off their Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative with the student athletes of Lakewood High School. The virtual event, which was held on February 15, was the first in a series of 10 to be held for high schools throughout the state in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

Former NFL quarterback Ray Lucas headlined the event and discussed his story of addiction and recovery with the students. Lucas shared stories from his playing career at Rutgers and in the NFL and detailed how he developed an addiction to opioids, while also urging students to stay educated and informed about the risks of prescription opioids.

“Opioids effect everyone and does care about race, religion or backgrounds,” explained Lucas.  “Your mouth is your most important weapon. You should ask for help if you need it and make sure to ask the questions about what you're being prescribed and if there are alternatives.”

Ray Lucas speaks to student athletes of Lakewood High School about the dangers of prescription opioids.

Student athletes have an elevated risk of opioid use as sports injuries send more than 2.6 million children to emergency rooms every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mission of this virtual conversation will be to educate student athletes on the risks of prescription opioids, as well as the importance of taking care of themselves physically and mentally.

A Monitoring the Future survey also found that adolescent participants in high-injury sports had 50 percent higher odds of nonmedical use of prescription opioids than adolescents who did not participate in these types of sports.

Lucas, a Harrison native, starred at Rutgers University in the 1990s before enjoying a seven-year career in the NFL. Football took its toll on Lucas, who sustained numerous injuries and underwent more than a dozen surgeries during and after his playing career. He became dependent on prescription opioids, at times taking more than 1,400 pills a month. He has been open about his addiction and recovery in an effort to help others who have struggled with addiction and to prevent youth athletes from going down the path to addiction.

“As New Jersey’s opioid epidemic continues to plague the state, it is vital to reach student athletes and educate them about the dangers of prescription opioids,” said Angelo Valente, PDFNJ, Executive Director. “We all need to be part of the solution, and are grateful to Ray Lucas for sharing his story with the Lakewood students and to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for making these events possible.”

In 2020, more than 3,000 people in New Jersey died of drug overdoses, a majority of which involved some form of opioid. In Ocean County, from January through November 2021, there have been 809 naloxone administrations to reverse opioid overdoses and 228 suspected overdose deaths. Preliminary data shows that New Jersey was on pace to end 2021 with more than 3,200 overdose deaths, which would be the most since the state started keeping track in 2012. 

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Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey: Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 211 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.4 million members.

About The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey: The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is committed to working alongside those who can help us improve our neighbors’ health, inform their health decisions and inspire them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. The Foundation’s funding pillars are Caring, Connecting and Creating. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is the sole member of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, both of which are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit www.Horizonblue.com/Foundation

About the NJSIAA: Established in 1918, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is a voluntary, non-profit organization comprised of 436 accredited public and non-public high schools. A member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, the NJSIAA conducts tournaments and crowns champions in 33 sports. Championship competition for girls is sponsored in basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, outdoor track, winter track, volleyball, and wrestling. Boys’ championships are determined in baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, outdoor track, winter track, volleyball, and wrestling.