New law aims to help young athletes with concussions

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A number of new state laws go into effect Sunday in Indiana. One of them aims to protect student athletes by requiring schools to teach athletes and parents about concussions. It also mandates that young athletes who suffer a concussion provide written permission from a doctor before returning to their sport.

But Muncie Community School Corp. administrators are taking the law a step further, thanks to the legacy of one well-known alumnus.

Dave Duerson was a giant on and off the field, known for his passionate play for the Chicago Bears as well as his willingness to serve those less fortunate.

It all started in Muncie, where he was high school football standout. It ended in his Florida home last year. Duerson put a bullet in his heart after repeated blows to his head had made life unbearable.

Now a foundation bears his name: The Dave Duerson Muncie Community Schools Athletic Safety Fund.

"Our fund was created to provide sustainable funding safety mechanism for prevention, detection and treatment for athletes and cheerleaders of Muncie Community Schools," said Mark Bryant, president of the fund.

The fund will be used not only to educate young athletes and their parents about concussive injury, but also will provide baseline testing for athletes. The tests are done on a computer and provide valuable information to physicians should a concussion occur.

Dr. Daniel Kraft, an IU pediatrician, specializes in sports medicine and is co-director of the Indiana Sports Concussion Network. He said concussions are common in young athletes. In fact, he's seen more than 250 new concussions in the past year.

"We've learned more about concussions in the last five to 10 years, and we've changed the way we treat concussions. We're realizing that concussions are a bigger deal than we initially thought ourselves, as physicians," said Kraft.

He urges parents to know the symptoms of concussive injury and seek treatment for your child. Concussions can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue and confusion. Concussive injury has been linked to ADHD, and multiple concussions can cause permanent brain damage as well as early onset dementia.

Muncie has begun giving their athletes baseline tests. The tests are available to young athletes at any Indiana high school, but school administrators have to request it. More information can be found at the Indiana Sports Concussion Network website .

A number of other Indiana laws take effect Sunday. Smoking inside public buildings and restaurants is banned, but it's still allowed at bars and casinos. Private clubs like VFWs and American Legion Posts are also exempt. Businesses that violate the state law could face fines up to $1,000.

Also taking effect Sunday is Indiana's Lifeline Law. It provides legal immunity to any underage drinker who tries to get help for a drunk friend. Students say the law will save lives because people younger than 21 would not be worried about getting in trouble themselves. Two Purdue University students helped write the bill.

Another new law makes it illegal for school districts to charge parents whose children ride the bus. This became an issue after Franklin Township said it could no longer afford to bus students. So parents were charged $475 for the first child to ride the bus and just over $400 for each additional child. The new law does allow a fee for busing students to and from athletic or social events.