NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids today released a new web resource to
help drive awareness and action around the dangerous risks of
prescription (Rx) medicine abuse among teens. The tool is an
interactive infographic that illustrates the path leading some
teens and young adults from prescription painkiller abuse into
heroin addiction. The new infographic is the latest resource from
The Medicine Abuse Project, a 5-year national action campaign that
aims to prevent half a million teens from abusing medicine.
The infographic, both interactive and in printable .pdf form,
follows the story of a fictional teen named Katie who was
prescribed painkillers after suffering an injury. She then begins
to abuse her Rx medication and when her tolerance increases, Katie
is unable to gain access to more Rx pain medicine. Katie eventually
turns to another opiate, heroin, leading her to a full-blown heroin
addiction.
Research shows that 4 out of 5 heroin users first began with
recreational use of prescription pain relievers[1]. Also, nearly 50
percent of young people who inject heroin started by abusing Rx
drugs.[2] By utilizing key facts, statistics and links to direct
services, the new tool is customized for parents, as well as
educators, health care professionals and communities who may be
looking for what they can do to address the migration from Rx pain
medicine to heroin.
"The sad truth is that some young people start on a journey
abusing prescription painkillers and then switch to heroin because
it's actually cheaper and more accessible. Communities across the
country – regardless of geographic location or economic status –
are experiencing an alarming uptick in deaths related to heroin
overdose," said Steve Pasierb,
President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. "We are
responding to the needs of parents with a visually-engaging story,
that helps humanize this often complex issue, by providing them
with a very real scenario that can unfortunately happen to a young
person in his or her life. Our hope is that parents will start a
dialogue about what steps they can take to help prevent
prescription painkiller abuse in their own families."
"I have been working with patients with heroin addiction for the
last 10 years and I can honestly say that almost every heroin
addict I have seen started using prescription opiates first," said
Dr. Josh Hersh, Staff Psychiatrist
at Miami University. "Some of them
experienced injuries or surgeries and got their first prescription
opiate from a physician while others got their first prescription
opiate from their parents' medicine cabinet. I think
a resource such as this new tool can really help parents
and kids see how addiction progresses and see that people don't
become heroin addicts overnight."
The new infographic is part of the many science-based resources
the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids offers to parents and families.
For those who are looking for help for a child or loved one, the
new tool also helps link them to direct services via the
Partnership's toll-free helpline and other online resources. Please
visit drugfree.org for more information.
About the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids is dedicated to reducing
teen substance abuse. We develop public education campaigns that
drive awareness of teen substance abuse, and lead teen-targeted
efforts that inspire young people to make positive decisions to
stay healthy and avoid drugs and alcohol. On our website,
drugfree.org, and through our toll-free helpline
(1-855-DRUGFREE),we provide families with direct support and
guidance to help them address teen substance abuse. Finally, we
build healthy communities, advocating for great access to
adolescent treatment and funding for youth prevention programs. As
a national nonprofit, we depend on donations from
individuals, corporations, foundations and the public sector and
are thankful to SAG-AFTRA and the advertising and media industries
for their ongoing generosity. We are proud to receive a Four-Star
rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized
independent evaluator of charities, as well as a National
Accredited Charity Seal from the Better Business Bureau's Wise
Giving Alliance.
[1] Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA)
[2] Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-partnership-for-drug-free-kids-launches-interactive-tool-to-illustrate-how-pain-medicine-abuse-can-lead-to-heroin-addiction-300034064.html
SOURCE The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
