SURPRISE!! The DEA Investigates NFL Doctors #RESM560V

The DEA did a surprise investigation of three visiting NFL teams over the weekend. The medical staff for San Francisco, Seattle, and Tampa Bay were all randomly searched while they were on their respective road games this weekend by the DEA.

Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, doctors cannot give players prescription drugs like Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin outside of the facilities where they are registered with the DEA to prescribe those controlled substances, and trainers are not permitted under the federal drug laws to ever provide prescription medications to players.

The random search stems from on ongoing investigation filed by 10 plaintiffs including Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim McMahon, claiming that they were forced to take pain masking medications in order to play, which in turn is affecting their long term health.

Using medications to aid in the health of NFL players is one of the most controversial topics in all of sports. The problem is that the issue is a double edged sword. Everyone knows that playing years in the NFL has the potential to cause long term effects on your body. However, the NFL is a “play for pay” league. In order for an NFL player to get paid to furnish his lavish lifestyle, he must actually dress on the 53 man roster. This has somehow caused medical doctors and athletic trainers their reputation and put the blame on them for NFL players being broke and demented.

Claim after claim accuse the team medical staff of being dirty and forcing NFL players to line up out the door for pain masking injections. The harsh reality is that no one is making the decision to take pain medication but the athletes themselves and medical professionals are not forcing a grown man to take a medication. In their mind they know that they need to take medication to get paid, and ultimately they would rather take a pain masking agent, than miss a few extra games.

The DEA is now trying to catch team Doctor’s illegally transporting controlled substances because of this pending lawsuit. They are trying to find anything and everything to try and prove that medical professionals are forcing grown men to take pain pills. But why shouldn’t a Medical Doctor be able to travel with controlled substances? Lets say an athlete that plays for the 49ers has a pretty traumatic ankle injury and has to fly back with the team from a game with the Buccaneers, why shouldn’t the team Doctor be able to open his back and give the athlete medication? Doctor’s should be able to prescribe drugs based on appropriate reason not based on what state they’re in.

The DEA should have more faith in the medical professionals and trust that Medical Doctors are prescribing drugs and informing athletes of effects lawfully. DEA officials need to see the big picture of athlete’s being used to living the expensive lifestyle, now they’re trying to find any loop hole to continue to pay for this lifestyle.

So good for you DEA, while people are being beheaded while vacationing in Mexico, and city’s streets are plagued with drug related homicides, and our prisons are expending vast amounts of tax payer money on housing inmates convicted of non-violent drug related crimes, at least NFL players will be recovering from their injuries 100% drug free.