NCPIE along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and representatives from 15 nationally recognized prevention, health professional and child advocacy organizations, have launched the Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse toolkit. This new comprehensive online resource, offers a complete workshop module to educate and equip teen influencers — parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, community and school-based healthcare providers and others — with credible information about teen prescription drug abuse and effective strategies to take action to help prevent it.
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SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's (CSAT) April 2010 Road to Recovery Program: Ignoring Instructions: The Importance of Using Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications Properly
The Road to Recovery is a web and cable television program sponsored by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s (CSAT). This 60-minute program/video combines a taped studio panel discussion with case studies from the field to celebrate those in recovery from substance misuse and to applaud the work of treatment providers. The program premiers on CSAT's Recovery Month webpage, and will play in almost 40 million households on more than 480 government and public access television stations around the country. The video also features footage of interviews with NCPIE’s Executive Vice President, Ray Bullman, MAM and NCPIE’s Board of Directors Vice Chair, N. Lee Rucker, MSPH of AARP.
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The Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer program was developed with the guidance and insight of an esteemed group of experts Project Advisory Team (PAT). It includes a complete workshop module, handouts and instructions, as well as real-life scenarios and information about warning signs and symptoms, common myths about teen prescription drug abuse, brochures and sample promotional materials.
This initiative is made possible by SAMHSA and additional grant funding from Purdue Pharma LP and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation.
| The Problem |
- 1 in 5 teens has abused Rx drugs.
- 1 in 3 teens reports there is "nothing wrong" when using Rx drugs "every once and a while."
- 1 in 3 teens report knowing someone who abuses Rx drugs.
- Every day, almost 2,500 teens abuse a prescription drug for the first time.
- Rx drugs are abused more than cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine combined.
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With the help of an esteemed Project Advisory Team (PAT) NCPIE has developed a turn-key educational program designed for healthcare professionals, including prescribers, pharmacists, and nurses, and adults working or involved in school based settings, including teachers, counselors, coaches and PTA groups, for example. The workshop, which can be presented in one hour (or less) consists of the following components:
| Dangers of Abusing Rx Drugs |
- Increases in blood pressure or heart rate
- Damages brain and other organs
- Overdose/poisonings
- Physical dependence
- Addiction
- Disruption in breathing (respiratory depression)
- Seizures
- Death
- Risks associated with mixing multiple drugs or combining with alcohol
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- Welcome and Introductions (10 minutes)
- Presentation (25-30 minutes)
- Role Playing Activity (15 minutes)
- Wrap Up and Evaluation (10 minutes)
This new educational resource is a complete workshop module designed to educate and equip teen influencers — parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, community and school-based healthcare providers and others — with credible information about teen prescription drug abuse and effective strategies to take action. The goal is to empower teen influencers to provide consistent prevention messages wherever teens are: at home, at school, on the field or during health-related visits.
During this hands-on program, participants will:
- Learn about prescription (Rx) drug abuse.
- Dispel common myths.
- Reinforce your position as a role model.
- Provide tips for communicating with teens.
- Empower you to take an active role to reduce prescription drug abuse.
| Who Can Make A Difference? |
- Parents
- Grandparents
- Teachers
- Coaches
- School administrators
- Guidance counselors
- School nurses
- School resource officers
- Community-based healthcare professionals - including prescribers, pharmacists, nurses
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Your Role as a Presenter
You don't need any special training to give this presentation. Nor do you have to be a healthcare professional or an expert on teen prescription drug abuse. Simply review the materials, follow the steps outlined in this guide, and you'll be well prepared to conduct an engaging and informative presentation about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and what adults can do to prevent it. By giving this talk, you will help educate other teen influencers about the growing problem of prescription drug abuse and provide them with useful information and tools to enhance their outreach efforts.
Getting Started
NCPIE has provided everything you need to get started. The Presenter's Guide includes everything you'll need to plan a one-hour presentation for a group of teen influencers in your community. It will walk you through the steps needed to plan and promote a workshop in your community, school, clinic or other setting.
In addition to the Presenter's Guide, the "Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer" program includes:
- A PowerPoint presentation complete with a script and suggested talking points
- Presenter's checklist with an organized list of tasks to do before, the day of and after
your workshop
- Role play scenarios include real-life situations to engage parents, teachers, coaches, healthcare providers and other teen influencers and make the workshop more interactive
- Key messages provide teen influencers with a snapshot of important information about teen prescription drug abuse
- Printable PDF handouts for attendees including:
- Sample commitment card to give participants the opportunity to commit to do something to help address the problem in some way following the workshop
- Sample promotional materials
- Participant Evaluation Form — for attendees to complete at the end of the workshop
- Presenter Evaluation Form — for you to complete after presenting each workshop
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These Days, It's not just PB&J Sandwiches that Kids are Trading — One in Five Teens Share Their Prescription Drugs with Friends (Join Together, 8/24/09)
- A survey of 12- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. has found that about 20 percent said they have given their prescription drugs like OxyContin and Darvocet to friends or obtained drugs the same way.
- Allergy drugs, narcotic pain relievers, antibiotics, acne medications, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications were the most commonly shared.
- Three-quarters of those who borrowed drugs from friends said they did so in lieu of visiting a doctor.
- About one-third of those who borrowed medications said they had experienced an allergic reaction or other negative side-effects as a result.
Past research has shown that 40 percent of adults also share their medications. The study was published online in August 2009 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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