In Atlantic City on Friday, combating the opioid crisis in youth sports was the focus of a Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey conference.

Former NFL player and Rutgers graduate Ray Lucas, who spoke at the conference, said painkillers helped him through the hurt that came with his eight-year football career. Saying that everyone could be one prescription away from an opioid addiction, Lucas shared his story of overcoming an opioid addiction after leaving the NFL and he warned of the pitfalls for young athletes struggling with pain.

“It’s scientifically proven that adolescents are 10 times more likely to become addicted than grown men. I was a grown man when I became addicted, and it happened like that.”

Special Agent Frank Deerr, the resident agent in charge in the Drug Enforcement Administration for Atlantic City, said, “It’s the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.”