Media Talking Points
Why is this campaign important?

Kids believe prescription medicine, even if not prescribed by a doctor, is much
safer to use than illegal street drugs and that prescription painkillers cannot
be addictive. This is a myth. In reality, 12 to 17 year olds abuse prescription
drugs more than they abuse heroin, cocaine/crack, ecstasy and
methamphetamine combined, and the prescription drugs most commonly
abused by teens are prescription painkillers. We need to dispel these myths.

NM ranks 2nd highest in the nation for non-medical use of pain relievers at
6.8 percent for 12-17 years olds, compared to the national rate of 5.0
percent.

1 in 11 high school teens report having used prescription painkillers to get
high.

Prescription drug overdose deaths now outstrip death from illegal street drug
overdose.

NM is also 3nd in the nation for total drug overdose rates.

We need to educate teens and their parents of the risks to avoid misuse in
the first place. We know that 90 percent of addictions start in the teen years.

Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in New Mexico. The
increase in overdose deaths over the past decade has been driven by an
increase in prescription drug overdose deaths.

In NM, 49 percent of drugs causing unintentional overdose death were
prescription opioids (painkillers), compared to 29 percent for heroin, 28
percent for tranquilizers/muscle relaxants, 21 percent for antidepressants, 19
percent for cocaine and 9 percent for methamphetamine.
What do parents, grandparents and family friends need to know?

As parents, we may have spoken to our child about the risks of illegal street
drugs, but we may not be speaking to them about the risk of prescription pain
medicine.

Two-third of teens that abuse pain relievers report getting them from family
members or friends, often by simply opening up a medicine cabinet or kitchen
cupboard.
Dose of Reality Talking Points
1

Parents are in a unique position to directly shut down home supply of
prescription drugs simply by safely storing and properly disposing of any unused
pills and avoid stockpiling prescription medicine.

With teens as young as 12 abusing prescription painkillers, parents and
caregivers also need to talk to their kids at an early age.

Parents do make a difference! However, only a third of parents report discussing
the risks of abusing prescription medicine with their child. Kids who learn about
the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs than
those who are not taught about the dangers.

Let kids know taking any prescription medication that is not prescribed to them
by a doctor is drug abuse and dangerous.

Experimenting with prescription drugs—even once—can lead to an overdose or
death. Explain that these risks increase dramatically when drugs and/or alcohol
are mixed.
How much does the campaign cost and where is the funding coming from?
The campaign costs $234,096 and is being funded by a grant from the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Administration Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. The
cost includes statewide advertisement aimed directly at teens 12-17 and a
comprehensive outreach campaign including an online parent resource toolkit and
collaborating with a network of community prevention coalitions to educate local
communities.
Why is the campaign necessary if the rate of overdose death has slowed, as
reported in December 2014?

While many actions are currently being taken to successfully reduce the
overdose death rate, including the 2012 law adopted by the legislature and
regulatory boards rules to more closely monitor how painkillers are prescribed
and dispensed, we must maintain our vigilance, particularly to our teens.

Make no mistake, prevention outreach regarding teen abuse of prescribed
painkillers is important and necessary because misuse can be addictive, fatal if
taking too much, or lead to heroin use if prescription painkillers are not
available.

The public health community must continue to educate teens, parents, the
community and health care providers about the harms of teen prescription drug
abuse. The more they know, the more prevention efforts can affect overdose
death, addiction treatment and recovery rates.
Dose of Reality Talking Points
2