SACRAMENTO, CA –Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) introduced a bill to increase concussion knowledge and first aid response in high school athletics. AB 1451 will add training on concussions and other potentially catastrophic injuries, including asthma attacks and heatstroke, to the CPR and first aid certification required of all California high school coaches.
"Concussions pose a serious health threat to our young athletes, and it's critical that coaches receive training that will help them better respond to head injuries in high school sports," stated Assemblymember Hayashi. "Kids believe that they need to be tough and play through the pain when injuries occur, so they're unlikely to tell anyone when they think they have a concussion. We need to provide coaches with the training necessary to take appropriate action at the time a student is injured."
Assemblymember Hayashi's groundbreaking concussion bill, AB 25, was signed by the Governor in 2011 and went into effect this year. It requires a school district to immediately remove an athlete from a school-sponsored athletic activity if he or she is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury. Students are prohibited from returning to play until he or she is evaluated by, and receives written clearance from, a licensed health care provider.
AB 1451 strengthens existing law, by training coaches to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions and to take the proper steps to deal with these potentially life-threatening injuries.
Studies have shown that high school athletes are at risk of suffering from memory loss, mental fatigue, depression, and sleep disorders as a result of head injuries sustained in sports. The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that the incidence of catastrophic head injuries, including brain bleeding and swelling, is more than three times greater among high school football players than college players. For young women, the leading cause of high school sports concussion is soccer. A 2009 American Journal of Sports Medicine article showed that female athletes suffer more significant effects from multiple concussions than their male counterparts.
Assemblymember Hayashi is the Chair of the Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection Committee and serves the 18th Assembly District, which includes San Leandro, Hayward, Dublin, most of Castro Valley and Pleasanton, and a portion of Oakland, as well as the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo and Sunol.
Contact: Ross Warren, (916) 319-2018
