Retired NFL Players Say League Illegally Supplied Them with Prescription Painkillers
/By Celia Vimont
May 21st, 2014/

A group of retired National Football League (NFL) players filed a lawsuit this week, alleging the league illegally supplied them with prescription painkillers. The drugs numbed their injuries, and led to medical complications, according to the players.

The players say the NFL obtained and administered the painkillers without prescriptions, the Associated Press reports. The league did not warn the players about the drugs’ potential side effects, the lawsuit alleges. The players say the league wanted them to return to the field quickly, in order to maximize profits.

Some players say they were not told they had broken legs or ankles, and were instead given painkillers. One player said he was given anti-inflammatory medication instead of surgery. The years of free painkillers led to addiction, some players contend.

The NFL would not comment on the lawsuit, which names eight players. Lawyers for the players are seeking class-action status for former players who received narcotic painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, local anesthetics, sleeping aids or other drugs without a prescription. More than 500 other former players have signed on to the lawsuit, according to the lawyers.

The suit seeks to force the NFL to fund a testing and monitoring program to help prevent addiction, injuries and disabilities resulting from painkiller use, the AP notes. The suit also seeks unspecified financial damages.

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Saturday, September 20, 2014  Penn's Landing, Philadelphia Registration begins 7:00 am; Walk begins 9:00 am Click here to see the video from last year

Team Captain Kick-Off Meetings Get personal help on forming or leading a team!                  PRO-ACT has scheduled several Team Captain Meetings in various locations so that you can find one convenient to you. Sign up now to attend a meeting listed below and you will learn how to sign up your team online, raise funds effectively, receive tips on how to organize your team, and order team t-shirts if you want to for September 21. We will have handouts of many tools we developed and refined over the years and will be available to answer your questions.         In the meantime, continue to ask your associates, family members, and friends to join your team and to learn more about why we walk. Spread the word that recovery is real and alive! Do your part to fight the stigma! Recovery Walks! 2014 is the Pennsylvania and New Jersey areas largest National Recovery Month event with lots of support from other areas. Show up and be counted because, as SAMHSA says, REACH OUT  --  SPEAK UP! Tuesday, June 10, 12 noon - 1:00 pm Tuesday, June 24, 6:00 - 7:00 pm PRO-ACT Recovery Training Center 444 North 3rd Street, Suite 307 Philadelphia, PA 19123 To register, contact Kim Doughty here, or 215-923-1661   Friday, June 20, 1:00 - 2:30 pm Central Bucks Recovery Resource Center 252 West Swamp Road, Unit 12 Doylestown, PA 18901 To register, contact Rick Petrolawicz here, or 215-345-6644   Saturday, June 21, 11 am - 1:00 pm Wednesday, June 25, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center 1286 Veterans Highway, Unit D-6 Bristol, PA 19007 To register, contact Annika Odhner here, or 215-788-3738   Wednesday, June 25, 10:00 am - 12 noon Monday, June 30, 6:00 - 8:00 pm Philadelphia Recovery Community Center 1701 W. Lehigh Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19132 To register, cntact Sean Brinda here, or 215-223-7700

REGISTER to WALK, form a TEAM,  SPONSOR the event, make a DONATION, join the  HONOR GUARD,  or volunteer to help by clicking HERE  www.recoverywalks.org

Philadelphia Recovery Idol Round 3          Round 3 of Recovery Idol auditions has been rescheduled to Friday, May 30, 12 noon to 3:00 pm, at the Thomas Paine Plaza, 15th and JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia.   Competitors face a total of 6 rounds of competition at several locations around the city. The two finalists will perform at PRO-ACT's Recovery Walks! on September 20 in Penn's Landing, after which the winner will be announced. The winner receives a plaque, studio recording time, and an opportunity to perform before tens of thousands of people.  BE THERE TO APPLAUD YOUR FAVORITE!

A Note from Marita About Sponsorship   We would greatly appreciate your signing up to become a Sponsor of PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014. We have several levels of sponsorship with accompanying opportunities to promote your company or organization. These levels accommodate every budget, because, YES we know--we all have them. For details, please click here. A contribution to PRO-ACT's Recovery Walks! is a good investment! We will use more than 80 cents of every dollar to help combat addiction and promote recovery opportunities. We do this through prevention, education, advocacy, intervention, and recovery support services. Together, let's do what we can to fight the tragic disease of addiction, which is increasing at an alarming rate.   Contact Marita here if you would like more information. Otherwise, just complete the Sponsorship Agreement here and send it to the address on the form.

Need a Recovery Coach? With this April's class, more than 70 people have now been trained and certified by COA with the CCAR Recovery Coach curriculum. Recovery Coaches serve as personal guides and mentors to people seeking or already in long term recovery. They remove barriers & obstacles to recovery by connecting recoverees with resources, developing personalized wellness plans, monitoring progress and providing lots of encouragement. Coaches act as a compliment to counseling, 12-Step programs, spiritual pursuits, community activities and other recovery support systems. To connect with a COA/CCAR Recovery Coach, click here. If you are a COA/CCAR Recovery Coach grad and would like to be listed on this page, contact cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com. Thank You To COA's Newest Sponsors! As a non-profit organization, COA's mission is to be of service. We understand that addiction is a mental, physical and emotional disease that can leave lasting financial scars upon those it affects. Because of this, we never charge the families and individuals we work with, but rely upon donations and sponsors to meet our expenses.        With more and more calls for help, those expenses are rising.    But so is the assistance we are receiving from the Recovery Community.  We are hugely grateful to our website advertisers, without whom we would not be able to continue to provide services in the way that we do. These advertisers represent many different types of facilities with a variety of programs, but all have one thing in common: they are committed to excellent care and support Recovery thru their partnership with COA as well as other community activities. Please check out their websites and/or their appearances on COA Recovery Radio! Addiction Treatment Services International (ATSI) is a new facility in Galloway, New Jersey.  To learn more about them, click here.      The Recovery Place is located in Florida -  click here to listen to them talk about their program on COARR's "Saving Lives".     For their website, click here.  Footprints to Recovery is a new treatment center in Hamilton, New Jersey that offers some innovative programs such as career training thru a local business school, relapse prevention and 90-day covered stays.  To learn more about them, click here. Compass Health is an outpatient facility in Princeton Junction. Click here to see their website. Genesis House is an inpatient rehab in Florida with a 20-year track record. To learn more about them, click here.   COA has relationships with many different treatment facilities - inpatient & outpatient, secular & faith-based, local and out-of-state. In fact, the facilities mentioned here represent only our newest sponsors! We can therefore refer people to the right facility for them, based on their individual needs. City of Angels NJ, Inc. remains an all-volunteer organization; while some of our volunteers are employed in the recovery field, none receive compensation for their work at COA. Furthermore, COA never receives fees from treatment facilities in return for referrals.     Golf Tourney at Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians has recently selected COA to receive proceeds from their Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, August 4 at Yardley Country Club in Yardley, PA. This will be a wonderful opportunity for all of COA's golfing friends to help COA while they get in a round of golf. There is also a "luncheon only" participation, which is available for our COA non-golfer friends.   For details or to join in, click here. On COARR...Jobs in the Addiction Field Let's Talk About Recovery!   The COARR archives have recently been expanded with show photos and links to resources. Catch up on your favorite shows and listen to episodes you missed! COARR can be accessed via any Internet-enabled device - for the free smartphone app, visit your iphone or android store. If you missed last week's "Women & Addiction" with guest host Tricia Abney from Addiction Jobs Board talking about jobs in the addiction field, the show is now in the COARR archive. This is a super-informative show that will benefit anyone who wants to work - or is currently working - in a rehab, treatment center, counseling facility, sober home or other recovery resource. To listen to the show, click here.   Also in the archive: Paul Ressler on "Saving Lives" with Redneck talking about New Jersey's Overdose Prevention Act. To listen to that show, click here. Listen to past COARR shows any time: For "Women & Addiction" with Terri Thomas, click here. For "Hope Fiend" with Minister Rich Mollica, click here. For "Emotional Sobriety" with Andy Finley MFT, click here. For "Journey Thru the 12 Steps with the Life Recovery Bible," click here. For "Share Your Scars" with Vicki, click here. For "Wings Over Water: Creativity in Recovery" with recovery musician Kathy Moser,  click here. For "Laughter & Recovery" with stand up comic Wil B. Kleen, click here. For "Relationships in Recovery" with Alexa, click here. For "Saving Lives" with COA Director of Interventions Tom Redneck Clark, click here. For "Nar-Anon Families of Addiction Information Line" click here . Saturday, June 21: COA Open House This year, it's all about adjuncts: what are these tools, how do they work and how can (or should?) they be used? Come find out. Come to the Dwier Center for a full afternoon of speakers talking about Narcan, Ibogaine and other medications, the Overdose Prevention Act and more. We'll also be showing THREE recovery films throughout the afternoon and serving light refreshments. COA Recovery Radio (www.coaradio.com) will be broadcasting live and many different groups & treatment centers will offer resources in our outdoor vendor park.   For details, click here. To be a vendor (no charge), contact cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com.     Recovery Walk Update We think Recovery should be available to everyone. It shouldn't only be for those with the best insurance. So we will work with anyone who reaches out to us, regardless of their treatment history, insurance status or other details. You can learn more about COA scholarships in the video below. Our Recovery Walk on September 14, 2014 in Mercer County Park will support continued scholarships for recovery.     This is what a COA scholarship can do Please click here for details and help us if you can. Make a donation, register to walk or run, share this link, and/or volunteer. This will be an uplifting event with live music, vendors, food, testimonials from recoverees, live broadcast on COA Recovery Radio (www.coaradio.com) and much, much more!

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.                                                   and            Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --        Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT)
Recovery in Our Communities May 20, 2014      Like us on Facebook                                   www.councilsepa.org                       Follow us on Twitter Information and Recovery Support Line 24/7: 800-221-6333 The Happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts:   therefore guard accordingly.   Marcus Aurelius RAYS OF HOPE MY BROTHER'S WISDOM Personal Profile: Gina P.  "One day, all of that changed during a family visit. My little brother turned around and said, 'Gina, have you ever seen the movie Walk the Line?' I replied that I had. 'Well, you remind me of Johnny Cash. In the movie, all of his loved ones are there trying to help him, and he doesn't get it. You're doing the same thing.' For the first time in my life, I was speechless." My Brother's Wisdom. NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK, MAY 18-24   Throughout the Nation, this week is dedicated to increasing public awareness and action to promote  mental health and prevent substance use disorders with respect to tobacco, underage drinking, prescription drugs, marijuana and alcohol.  Visit the SAMHSA website for ideas and tools to get involved!  Prevention Ideas For Your Community.  WE'RE WORKING WITH PA LEGISLATURE ON OVERDOSE LEGISLATION From the beginning of Harrisburg's efforts to understand and address the overdose problem, The Council and PRO-ACT have been closely communicating with key legislators.  We are  educating and advocating to save lives and advance our community's interests. To make your voice heard, please contact your legislative representative now!   Find My Legislator Now!  Between March 3 and April 20, at least 28 people in Philadelphia died after using heroin laced with the painkiller fentanyl.  Officials are awaiting test results on seven more people. Read more.  MAY IS PROM MONTH The Council's Prevention Department has some practical suggestions for parents and alcohol. This is important because May is "prom month" and, in the case of Pennsylvania 12th graders, 48 percent regularly use alcohol and 27 percent are binge drinkers.  Prevention's May Newsletter WHITE HOUSE DRUG CZAR IS IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY ONDCP's Acting Director Michael Botticelli gave an exclusive interview with USA TODAY. This powerful voice for recovery shares that a White House emphasis is to support community-based recovery centers. Yes!  Watch The Drug Czar's Interview. PRO-ACT HELPS HARRISBURG  UNDERSTAND ROLE OF CRS Denise McCulley, a PRO-ACT CRS Supervisor, went to Harrisburg last week to help the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) better understand the role of a Certified Recovery Specialist in providing recovery support services. PCB is conducting an analysis of the CRS position, as well as the domains and tasks associated with the credentialed position.  PA OFFICIAL SAYS  IF YOU WANT LESS CRIME, THEN PROVIDE MORE RECOVERY RESOURCES  Gary Tennis, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, reportedly stated that one in every four families in Fayette County is affected by addiction, and believes that 70-80 percent of inmates are in prison due to untreated addiction issues.  If they had gotten the help they needed for addiction, the crime rate could drop as much as 70 percent.   Secretary Gary Tennis Article.  Some Upcoming Events May 21, 2014: Meet The Council Open House, 8 - 9 am at 252 West Swamp Road, Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901 May 28, 2014:  Overdose Prevention Education Advisory Board, 5 - 6:30pm at 252 West Swamp Rd., Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901. Contact David Fialko at 215-230-8218, x 3162 or dfialko@councilsepa.org June 11, 2014: Hope, Help & Healing Fundraising Breakfast, Spring Mill Manor, 171 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland, PA 18974. For more information about our Campaign to raise community support for Prevention, Recovery Supports and Advocacy, please visit our website Hope, Help and Healing Fundraising Breakfast  or contact Michael here. September 12, 2014: 7:05 pm. Recovery Night at the Baseball Game, Phillies vs. Marlins, Citizens Bank Park. Click here for tickets.  September 20, 2014: PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014, Great Plaza, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia. Click here to register and get more information. Employment Opportunities: Please click here

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