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Home to Homeroom:
An educational program that teams parents with school nurses to prevent and address teen cough medicine abuse
StopMedicineAbuse.org/Home-to-Homeroom
Multiple national surveys point to the disturbing abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, like OTC cough medicine, among today's teens. Six percent of high school teens admit to having abused cough medicine containing dextromethorphan, or DXM, to get high in the past year and thirty-three percent of high school teens say they know someone who has abused cough medicine.
The National Association of School Nurses has partnered with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association to provide school nurses and parents with tools to help address teen medicine abuse.
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School Nurse Materials:
- PowerPoint Presentation: a helpful tool that school nurses can use to educate parents about OTC cough medicine abuse
PowerPoint File || PDF File
- Template Letter to Parents: alert parents in your school about this growing issue
Word File || PDF File
- Home to Homeroom Poster: post the flyer in a high-traffic area such as the school nurse's office, hallway, or cafeteria
Download Poster Click here for parent and media materials.
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Prescription drug abuse is a serious, growing problem in the United States, especially among pre-teens, adolescents, and young adults. Through a membership survey last fall, NASN members expressed the need for resources to address this growing crisis.
NASN responded to this request and is pleased to announce two major initiatives:
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Smart Moves, Smart Choices:
A Prescription Drug Abuse Education Program
Did you know that nearly one-quarter of 12th graders report that they have abused prescription drugs by the time they graduate from high school? In fact, research shows that prescription drug abuse among our nation’s youth is surging.
In response to this growing problem, the National Association of School Nurses teamed up with PriCara®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., on a program called “Smart Moves, Smart Choices.” The program aims to educate middle and high school students about the serious risks of abusing prescription medicines.
Videos and Curricula
“Smart Moves, Smart Choices” features a free, four-part video series available through an online resource called the.Medic produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions’ the.News. The program takes a news-based approach to educating American youth about the serious risks of prescription drug abuse. Each video is accompanied by science and language arts curricula. The program includes an additional video and guide for parents, who play an important role in reinforcing their children’s education about prescription medications. For more information on the the.Medic series and to view the videos and curricula, visit www.pbs.org/newshour/thenews/themedic/.
New School Assembly Tool Kit
A new, free school assembly tool kit is available, with downloadable, template materials that can be easily customized to help guide a parent or student assembly at your school. These materials include:
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JOSN Supplement, Online CNE, and Toolkit
NEW! - Free to the First 2,000 Members!
The Current State of Teenage Drug Abuse: Trend Toward Prescription Drugs - 2.0 CNE Contact Hours
This CNE program was mailed as a Supplement to the June Journal of School Nursing and it is also available as an Online CNE.
Upon completing this program, participants should be able to:
1. Summarize the prevalence of prescription drug abuse, dependency, and addiction potential among adolescents
2. Describe recommended approaches to identification and treatment of prescription drug abuse
3. Discuss preventive strategies aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse
4. Apply practical approaches to facilitating communication with students, parents, educators, and others in the community
The Toolkit initiative answers the call made by school nurses for educational resources and practical tools to support strategies for preventing, identifying, and managing teenage prescription drug misuse and abuse. The online toolkit features free practical, downloadable tools and worksheets for school nurses to use and distribute to students, educators, and parents.
This activity and program is supported by an educational grant from PriCara®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., administered by Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.
Click here to access the Online CNE (including an electronic copy of the Supplement)
Click here to access the Toolkit |
Additional Resources
Help Families Fight the Abuse of Rx and OTC Drugs
In response to the growing problem of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) drug abuse, D.A.R.E. America, in cooperation with Abbott Laboratories and Consumer Healthcare Products Association, introduced High School and Parent/Community lessons to fight Rx and OTC drug abuse. These free materials are available to NASN members (login required).
Complete a material order form > > > |