CADCA, CHPA kick off their National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month
WASHINGTON – The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association started their National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month on Wednesday to spread awareness around the abuse of over-the-counter medicines.
Every October, CADCA urges its membership to plan and promote an educational event — such as town hall meetings for parents, youth, and local advocates — to educate communities on the potential dangers associated with both prescription and OTC medicine abuse and to discuss prevention, intervention strategies and treatment.
“As the nation’s leading substance abuse prevention organization, CADCA is deeply concerned about the misuse and abuse of medicines — whether prescription or over-the-counter,” said Gen. Arthur Dean, CADCA chairman and CEO. “Too many young people are seeking out these substances as a means to get high without realizing the devastating impact medicine abuse can have on their lives. National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month will help educate families across America about the dangers of abusing medicines and spur communities into action.”
CADCA is a partner of CHPA’s Stop Medicine Abuse campaign, which works to inform parents of teen abuse of OTC medicines containing the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, which some people — primarily teens — abuse in excessive amounts in pursuit of a high. The campaign encourages parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of medicine abuse, to safeguard their medicines and spread the word in their communities.
“Last year, the annual Monitoring the Future study reported a decrease in the percent of teens who abuse OTC cough medicine, and we know that the work being done in communities by CADCA coalitions played a major role in that progress,” CHPA president and CEO Scott Melville said. “We are proud to continue partnering with CADCA to reach more parents about OTC cough medicine abuse and to mobilize them to action.”
This year, the groups are also promoting an online engagement campaign (ToMyTeen.com/#ToMyTeen) to help spread the word about medicine abuse by mobilizing parents to post photos showcasing their words of affirmation to their teens and encouragement to other parents.
“As a father of teens, I have seen how giving teens positive reinforcement boosts their self-esteem and helps them to make smart choices,” Melville said, “I’m excited by this campaign and hope it will rally parents around celebrating the good in their teens while also mobilizing them to discuss some of the tough issues their teens may be facing such as pressure to abuse drugs, alcohol or OTC medicine.”