Opioid addiction has been in the national spotlight for nearly two decades, with no real indication that the epidemic is diminishing. In the field of addiction medicine, it is well understood that addiction does not discriminate. While opioid use disorder affects primarily adults, teenagers are eligible too.
The “Just Say No” and subsequent D.A.R.E. campaigns over the years have shown that teenagers rarely respond to those types of adult directives. And, in fact, they may actually make teens more interested in trying drugs after learning about how they make you feel. It is no secret that adolescents hate being told what to do, even if such advice could save their life.
With that in mind, the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Chuck Rosenburg launched a new drug-education program that goes about teaching teens with science rather than scare tactics, The Washington Post reports. The DEA funded Discovery Education, a subsidiary of Discovery Communications, to develop a “virtual field trip,” which included a panel made up of a:
- Scientist
- Recovering Addict
- Assistant Principal
- DEA Agent
- Free Videos
- Classroom Materials
- A Student Video Contest
No comments:
Post a Comment