Help Teens Make Smart Choices – Teach Them the Dangers of Abusing Prescription Medication

April 28, 2008 - A new program designed to educate teens about the serious risks of abusing prescription medicines has been launched.  Developed by National Association of School Nurses (NASN), with funding from PriCara, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Smart Moves, Smart Choices includes web-based resources and a series of videos, which are part of an in-school newscast called “the.News.”

Smart Moves, Smart Choices is featured in the newscast’s prototype “the.Medic.”  The videos and resources are targeted to students, school nurses, teachers, and parents.  Each video takes a news-based approach and is accompanied by lesson plans with curriculum appropriate for middle and high school students in the subject areas of science and language arts. 

The videos are divided into five segments:

1)     Myth Busting, which discusses the truth behind teens’ common beliefs about prescription drug abuse;

2)     Science of Addiction, which includes information on the consequences of prescription drug abuse on the developing brain;

3)     Changes for Life, which provides first-hand accounts from teens on how prescription drug abuse impacts relationships and affects social lives, as well as participation in sports and academics;

4)     Media Literacy, which analyzes messages in the media about prescription drug abuse by popular figures; and

5)     What Parents Should Know, which includes information for parents, ways to communicate with teens, ways to recognize signs of abuse, and resources.

For more information, please visit http://www.macneil-lehrer.com/thenews/themedic/ or contact NASN at nasn@nasn.org.

Source: “NASN Announces Launch of RX Abuse Education Program,” NASN Press Release, April 16, 2008 and the.News website, prototype the.Medic, 2008.