Will The New Toolkit to Teach Kids about Drug Abuse Help?

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Author: Justin Mckibben

The drug world is changing, and regardless of age young people are still susceptible to the pull of drugs and alcohol through various levels of exposure. While parents try their best to keep an eye out at home, some schools are proposing extra measures with drug testing young students. Now there is another alternative that is being offered to help expose young people to drug abuse in a productive way.

Prescription drug abuse is doing some serious damage all across the country, as part of the massive opiate epidemic that has swept across the nation and continues to claim so many lives. A diversity of initiatives have been devised to try and change the game, and one is aimed specifically at young people.

The new “Above the Influence” toolkit developed to assist community leaders and organizations has now been released by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The objective of this toolkit is to publicize prevention of prescription drug abuse by providing information to children and youth.

“Above the Influence”

The “Above the Influence” toolkit provides adults with a guide to help them talk with their children about prescription drugs, while giving them descriptions for young children and even enlightening teenagers to the dangers that are most commonly associated with prescription drug abuse.

The features included to this new resource are not limited to communication tools. The “Above the Influence” toolkit also contains other helpful suggestions to promote healthier choices like group and event planning activities, the toolkit even provides the individual access to multimedia resources.

Those who developed the “Above the Influence” toolkit intended to inspire local county officials, even family members to explore a wider range of methods to utilize while trying to involve young people in the process of their own education and abstinence from drugs, and to help officials to prevent prescription drug abuse in their communities. The hope is that if the effort is made to provide prevention education, then the prescription drug epidemic that has become such an important issue in America, with a bit of luck, can be identified and cut off in the younger generation before it gets too out of hand.

The Overall Mission

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids is a nonprofit organization with a mission that seems simple, but will take more than a fair share of effort. That mission is to reduce teen substance abuse while simultaneously supporting the families all over the country that have already been impacted in any way by the disease of addiction.

The “Above the Influence” toolkit has a download page which offers a vast array of tools and resources to accomplish this mission.

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has instituted a number of informative and active programs to offer reinforcements to those fighting and tragically losing lives on the front lines of the ‘War on Drugs’ that reaches the lives of children in  addiction. Some of these programs are:

• A Parent Survival Guide to raising drug-free kids
• The Medicine Abuse Project

Now with the newly added “Above the Influence” toolkit, the organization is taking another approach at influencing the general public to take heed and hopefully take action. But this latest move also shows that the organization is willing to admit their own limitations, as they are asking for help with this new move.

Without the help of local communities, officials and educators, the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids sees that they are just going to keep fighting what often seems like an unattainable struggle against drug abuse and addiction. They are far too outnumbered and out-gunned in many aspects.

Thankfully they are releasing the “Above the Influence” toolkit with a scheme to to expand their impact by handing over access to these essential resources and empowering the actual people and their local authorities that stand to benefit most from understanding and promoting these tools for education and raising awareness.

This new idea and tactic suggests that any success that can be had against the prescription drug epidemic can only be achieved by working together in a positive direction, so by employing the various resources and empowering individuals locally who have the direct contact with the young people, the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has taken a leap toward teaching young people the dangerous of prescription medication, in an effort to address the growing issue at the source.

Keeping people informed of the real and deadly risks they take when abusing drugs and alcohol is a huge part of altering the mindset surrounding drug abuse as a teen and young adult. Raising that awareness is important, and for those who are currently struggling, there is still plenty to learn and so much life to live as long as you are willing to take that first step. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135