It’s a hard truth that the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs has spread nationwide. The problem has risen so high that the CDC has even characterized prescription drug overdose as a public health epidemic. Shawnee Health Service is proud to announce the launch of a Drug and Alcohol Awareness and Prevention media campaign. This campaign will support activities related to prevention, screening, and treatment of patients with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
The goals of the campaign are to:
- Increase awareness that opioids can be addictive and dangerous
- Decrease the number of individuals who try opioids for recreational purposes
- Increase the number of individuals who choose options other than opioids for safe and effective pain management
Prevention activities will focus on drug prevention for young people in cooperation with our two school health centers, Terrier Care and Marion Wellness. Staff will educate students about the harmful and addictive effects of recreational opioid use. We will also provide training and education to teachers and parents on identifying risk factors and signs of adolescent drug and alcohol use.
To support these efforts, Shawnee Health Service will share educational posters, flyers, factsheets, and other resources designed to educate the public about prescription drug misuse and abuse. We will share these resources through the Shawnee Health Service, Terrier Care, Marion Wellness Facebook pages.
This campaign is supported by Access Increases in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (AIMS) supplemental funding. Other activities supported by this grant include purchase of 3 drug take-back kiosks, creation of educational packets for patients and community members, and other outreach and prevention efforts. Be sure to check our Facebook page for updates on our outreach efforts in the community.
If you have any questions or are interested in bringing one of our trainings to your organization, contact ebasler@shsdc.org.