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States Making Moves To Address Traumatic Brain Injury
With the recent high profile of traumatic brain injury, it was only a matter of time before states began passing legislature to help prevent TBI and create care systems for those affected. The injury is one of the most common in the United States, and even the world, and yet many traumatic brain injuries, especially in younger people, are preventable.
At this point, 22 states, as well as the District of Columbia, have programs and services funded by federal and state governments in place for those with TBI, but that number is low when you consider the frequency of which traumatic brain injury occurs, and how life-changing it can be.
The laws that have been already passed to address concerns about brain injury have been small steps to improvement, rather than the sweeping change we need. The problem in creating such widespread change is we simply don’t know enough to know what to change.
California is the latest to be making moves to address TBI, such as requiring school districts that offer athletic programs to remove an athlete from an activity who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury, according to Digital Journal. The law also requires the student to be evaluated and cleared for play by health care provider before returning to play.
These laws are very similar to the others passed in 41 states, but only time will tell if it will lower the huge amount of brain injuries occuring in child athletes.
