Take Care: Using football’s platform to tackle substance abuse

Substance abuse can have a profound and far-reaching impact on mental and physical health – particularly among young people.

To raise awareness of the risks posed by alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances, we have launched the latest module of our Take Care programme, which provides guidance and practical tools to build healthier habits.

Lessons from the game

Anyone can fall victim to the dangers of substance abuse, even professional footballers.

"I took the easiest way to start drinking," says former Real Madrid, Inter and Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder, speaking in a new UEFA documentary released as part of this module. "It gave me satisfaction…to kill that feeling, the mental problems and everything: tension, pressure, media, booing, but that’s not the right way.

"I started to feel little pains I’d never felt before, and of course, that was the effect of alcohol."

Former Liverpool and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland developed a dependency to painkillers during his playing career, and acknowledges that the effects could have been catastrophic.

"The effects they had on me eventually were devastating – I became a totally different person," he explains. "I knew what I was doing but I just couldn’t stop and I used to take tablets onto the pitch. It was the first thing in the morning that I would think about and the last thing at night. If I didn't seek help, it would have killed me, or I would have killed myself."

It takes a team

Sneijder stresses the importance of outside support in combatting substance abuse.

"Don’t close yourself off," he says. "[Doing so is] maybe a thing that I regret. That’s the only moment and the only possibility that someone can help you. Talk about problems. Be open."

Kirkland, meanwhile, believes initiatives like Take Care can be a vital resource in educating against addiction.

"You cannot underestimate what this can do – it will save lives, whether that's at a professional level, grassroots, or making a difference in wider communities or families. I wish I would have seen something like this many years ago."

It is a view backed by Dr Kamil Baczynski, chief medical officer at the Gibraltar Football Association, who works with their youth players to help educate about substance abuse.

"Young people rarely think about the future but they will definitely think about their performance," he says. "It's difficult for them to understand what can happen over the next 20 or 30 years and the impact it will have, but they all understand how demanding football is. When they see the real evidence that their performances will be worse, their recovery will be worse and they could never achieve their best, it's a really eye-opening situation and a game-changing experience."

Tools for a healthier life

Our Take Care campaign also covers physical activity, nutrition, mental health, digital addition and road safety, with each module provides a variety of tools to support national associations, leagues, clubs, football stakeholders and schools in promoting health and well-being.

Each module includes a scientific white paper, promotional posters, educational session, podcast, documentary and online webinar or launch event.