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Houston Matters

Tackle Football And Concussions: How Young Is Too Young To Play?

Lawmakers in several states are debating age limits to play certain sports.

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Lawmakers in Illinois, New York, and California are debating legislation that would ban tackle football for children under a certain age. The proposed measures stem from concerns about the risks associated with concussions and brain injury.

This isn't the first time attention has been drawn to similar issues. Discussions and research about these injuries in the NFL and other sports have been going on for years.

So, after years of research and so much money spent examining this issue, what do we know about brain injuries today? Is there enough medical consensus to say one way or another whether there should be an age limit to certain sports?

Houston Matters talks it over with Dr. Munro Cullum, a professor at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Dr. Kenneth Podell, director of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center.