Not Worth the Risk – Even if it’s Legal

BeMedWise partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to prevent teen prescription medicine abuse

Consider the facts

  • Every day, 2,700 teens try a prescription medicine to get high for the first time.
  • Today’s teenagers are more likely to have abused medications than a variety of illegal drugs like Ecstasy, cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine.
  • Nearly one in five teens (19 percent or 4.5 million) report abusing prescription medications to get high.
  • One in 3 report being offered an Rx or OTC medicine for the purpose of abuse.
  • One in 3 teens report having a close friend who abuses prescription pain medicine to get high.
  • One in 4 teens report having a close friend who abuses cough medicine to get high.
  • One in 10 (10 percent or 2.4 million) report abusing cough medicine to get high.

About the partnership

BeMedWise, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) completed the development and distribution of a comprehensive range of educational and outreach messages encouraging parents to talk to their teens about preventing prescription medicine abuse. SAMHSA contractual support enabled BeMedWise to produce and distribute the educational materials in both English and Spanish language to television stations, newspapers, and radio stations across the U.S.

Campaign materials available

Each of the following educational resources is available for organizations to use in their own publications or to disseminate to local radio and television stations as part of their contribution to broaden the reach and impact of the campaign.

BeMedWise, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) developed this comprehensive range of educational and outreach messages encouraging parents to talk to their teens about preventing prescription medicine abuse. SAMHSA contractual support enabled BeMedWise to produce and distribute the educational materials in both English and Spanish.