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The Power of Teachers to Address the Opioid Epidemic

According to the Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, Health, prescription drug misuse is a major public health challenge and a priority for our nation. In response, schools and community organizations are taking a proactive approach to help children and teens lead healthy and productive lives and stay substance-free. As Josh Cornfield of the Associated Press reports in Schools Reach Beyond 'Just Say No' On Opioid Dangers, many teachers are now addressing this topic with students as young as kindergarten. Linda Richter, Director of Policy Research and Analysis for the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, recommends that schools rely on rigorously evaluated and proven prevention programs, like the Mendez Foundation's Too Good for Drugs. The evidence-based Too Good for Drugs program is designed to empower students grades K-12 with the skills they need to make healthy choices, build positive friendships, resist negative peer pressure, and ultimately avoid drug use. More specifically, lessons on understanding the negative health effects related to prescription drug misuse are available in the following grades: Too Good for Drugs Grade 4 Too Good for Drugs Grade 6 Too Good for Drugs Grade 7 Too Good for Drugs Grade 8 Too Good for Drugs High School   To learn more about Too Good for Drugs, and how you can prevent substance misuse, click here.