Explanation should include
- safe prescription use (e.g., following all prescription directions, storing safely, never using others’ prescribed medications)
- screening for risk and protective factors in opioid addiction
- opioid addiction prevention education
- the importance of strong support systems in addiction prevention
- coping skills (e.g., the importance of a healthy lifestyle, exercise, stress-management)
- refusal strategies (i.e., a discussion of communication skills and emphasis on the importance of empowerment in addiction prevention)
- considerations for specific populations
- specialized approaches for adolescents and minors
- naloxone co-prescribing
- roles of family and social institutions in prevention and early intervention.
Teacher Resources:
- Prevention Tip Card, Office of the Attorney General of Virginia
- Prescription Opioids: Even When Prescribed by a Doctor (video), CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- ABC-X Model of Family Stress and Coping (Abstract), The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Family Studies (for historical context, see also Families Under Stress; Adjustment to the Crises of War Separation and Reunion, by Reuben Hill)
- High School Resources, Opioid and Prescription Drugs, Operation Prevention, Discovery Education and DEA, DOJ
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are the physiological characteristics of opioid addiction?
- What demographic is most affected by the opioid epidemic? What are the explanations for this?
- How can the provision of naloxone and training in its use be sustained financially?
- What obligations do families and society have in preventing and providing early intervention related to drug addiction?