Another Bad Boy in the NFL [J. Mark English]

Oh boy, this is probably the best of the bad boys that are giving a black eye to the NFL. From ESPN:

As part of a plea bargain that could allow him to avoid jail time, Chargers safety Terrence Kiel pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony and misdemeanor drug charges for shipping codeine-based cough syrup to Texas.

Kiel, one of six Chargers involved in eight run-ins with police since April, was ordered to do 100 hours of volunteer work, including talking to young people about the dangers of drugs, and undergo counseling for gambling.

What the hell? Cough syrup? Is life that bad, and your that poor that you need to pay off gambling debts with cough syrup. Am I missing something here? What good is cough syrup? Is it used in making meth? Can someone help me understand this???