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SpanishContra Costa County MEDS Coalition educates students and parents throughout the county about opioid and prescription drug misuse. Education is key to preventing drug misuse and overdoses. Contra Costa County MEDS Coalition talks to students and parents about monitoring prescription drug use after an injury, the risks of prescription and illicit drugs, encourages alternative stress and injury management techniques, and empowers them to make their own educated decisions about prescribed and illicit drugs.
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Educate yourself and others about the opioid epidemic and prescription drug misuse using the resources listed below.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a United States federal-government research institute whose mission is to “advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.” You can learn about specific drugs, treatment opportunities, new research and more on NIDA’s website.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control has many resources on the United States’ Opioid Epidemic. You can find an explanation of the epidemic, overdose statistics, information about different drugs, and strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.
One of the highest priorities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advancing efforts to address the crisis of misuse and abuse of opioid drugs harming families. Opioids are claiming lives at a staggering rate, and overdoses from prescription opioids are reducing life expectancy in the United States.
At FDA, we’re working across the full scope of our regulatory obligations to impact this crisis. Our approach to reducing the misuse and abuse of opioids is outlined in FDA’s 2018 Strategic Policy Roadmap, which addresses various facets of this complex issue, as there are no simple answers to reverse this epidemic.
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
Partnership for Drug Free Kids addresses every aspect of substance use and addiction, from prevention to recovery. They empower parents and caregivers with support and guidance using the latest science-based information. They research and advance effective prevention and treatment strategies. They advocate for lifesaving policy changes. Finally, they aspire to change the national conversation around addiction so that no one will feel alone or ashamed to seek help, and everyone has access to the care they need and deserve.
Implement opioid and prescription drug education into your own school or class’s curriculum using evidence based curricula. Parents are also encouraged to take education into their own hands and speak with their children about this important issue. Use the curricula below as guidance, or as easily implemented programming.
Operation Prevention
The DEA and Discovery Education have joined forces to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention’s mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom.
EverFi
EverFi has a plethora of online courses for students of all ages. Amidst their wide array of course topics, they have a course titled “Prescription Drug Safety.” “Prescription Drug Safety” is an innovative digital course that focuses on high school students, arming them with the knowledge and tools to make healthy, informed decisions.
Smart Moves, Smart Choices
Smart Moves, Smart Choices is a national awareness program designed to inform parents, teens and educators about the risks of teen prescription drug abuse and misuse, and to empower them to address this serious problem.
The program offers free tools and resources to help empower schools and communities to begin a dialogue with elementary, middle and high school students and their parents and relatives. The program encourages parents and relatives to monitor their medicine cabinets and to have open and honest conversations with their children.
