WASHINGTON: DARE America, the organization dedicated to educating teens about the dangers of drugs, released a new curriculum as part of a larger communications effort to address the rising number of teens abusing prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
The campaign comes as new statistics reveal that although there is a steady decline of teens abusing illegal drugs, the number of young people abusing prescription medications is on the rise, said Dale Brown, director of regional operations for DARE America.
APCO Worldwide aided DARE in the development of the new curriculum, and created supporting materials for students, parents, and DARE administrators.
The overall effort also includes PSAs for local DARE programs to use within their markets. The new curriculum was announced at a December 13 press conference in Washington, DC.
DARE also worked on the effort with a number of partners, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"The feeling is that kids perceive these as safe drugs because they are manufactured as medicines," Brown explained. "We've created a number of supplements that keep the focus on how to make good decisions."
