Ongoing grassroots campaign encourages parents to have difficult
conversations with their kids
WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Studies show that parents
who talk to their kids about the dangers of drug abuse have children who
are half as likely to abuse drugs. Despite this effective way for parents
to address substance abuse with their kids, a recent survey of parents
shows that while 83 percent say they feel prepared to discuss cough
medicine abuse with their teens, only 21 percent have done so.
One year ago this month, five mothers from across the country launched
the Five Moms: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse Campaign to try to bridge that
communication gap. Since then, these five extraordinary women have reached
more than 23 million parents through online channels including personal
blogs, an online messaging system, and a "viral" video to make the issue of
teens abusing cough medicine hit home.
Cough medicine abuse is an alarming trend among young people, who
intentionally take 25-50 times the recommended dose to get a "high" from
the active ingredient dextromethorphan. Data collected by the Partnership
for a Drug-Free America show that one in 10, or 2.4 million young people,
reports having abused dextromethorphan-containing medicines to get high.
"This Mother's Day, we're building on the success of the past year by
encouraging our expansive Five Moms community to have a conversation with
their teens about the dangers of cough medicine abuse," said Linda A.
Suydam, president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA),
the association representing the leading makers of over-the-counter cough
medicines and the group responsible for creating the campaign. "The process
to address cough medicine abuse is two fold. First, we had to raise
awareness among parents that teens abusing cough medicine was a reality.
Now, with our growing community of engaged parents, we are asking our Five
Moms members to engage in an open communication with their teens to help
prevent this type of substance abuse."
The Five Moms are offering several steps that moms (and dads) can take
that will open the door to conversations with their teens about cough
medicine abuse. Among their key tips, also found at FiveMoms.com:
-- Educate yourself
-- Safeguard medicines at home
-- Communicate with your teen
-- Monitor internet usage
-- Recognize signs your teen may be abusing cough medicine
"Like so many parents out there, I can't help but think how different
my family's life would be had we known that cough medicine abuse was
happening and were armed with information on how to prevent it," said Five
Mom Christy Crandell, whose son was arrested for armed robbery while high
on cough medicine and marijuana. "I can only hope that other parents
understand the importance of taking these steps to protect their teens from
abusing cough medicine."
Campaign reaching parents across the country
Using the same tactics that medicine abusers are using -- spreading and
promoting information on the Internet -- the Five Moms Campaign is getting
the word out to as many parents as possible that cough medicine abuse is
happening in homes across the country, and that the Internet is a driving
force.
The five moms at the heart of the Five Moms campaign are:
-- Julie Bermant, a pediatric nurse practitioner from Massachusetts
-- Blaise Brooks, an accountant from California
-- Christy Crandell, a California mother of a former cough-medicine
abuser
-- Becky Dyer, a D.A.R.E. officer and deputy sheriff from Kansas
-- Hilda Morales, an educator from Texas
Since the campaign's launch last May, tens of thousands of parents
across the country have become actively engaged online in the fight against
cough medicine abuse:
-- More than 84,000 people have visited http://www.FiveMoms.com, a web site
where parents can find information about cough medicine abuse, read blog
entries from the Five Moms, and link to sites that have additional
resources for fighting cough medicine abuse.
-- Site visitors have sent more than 127,000 "Tell-A-Friend" e-mails,
alerting other parents to the information available on FiveMoms.com.
-- The Five Moms viral video, which provides a compelling and alarming
look at cough medicine abuse, has been viewed by more than 13,000 people on
YouTube, google video, and Yahoo! video.
"In just one year, we've made great strides towards educating parents
about this problem," said Hilda Morales, one of the Five Moms. "But we can
not and will not stop our efforts until every parent in America knows about
cough medicine abuse and is equipped to address it in his or her own home."
The Five Moms Campaign is part of a long-term multi-media effort by
CHPA to educate parents and teens about cough medicine abuse. CHPA has
partnered with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America on public service
announcements and bilingual educational materials, and the Community
Anti-Drug Coalitions of America on a toolkit for community leaders. CHPA
also has worked with D.A.R.E. America to incorporate information about
cough medicine abuse into its school curricula and is in the beginning
stages of a partnership with the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
"Our member companies have worked tirelessly to educate parents about
the potential for abuse," said CHPA President Suydam. "The success of the
Five Moms Campaign has taken this effort to an entirely new level."
To learn more about the Five Moms Campaign, visit http://www.FiveMoms.com.
Contact:
Elizabeth Funderburk
202-429-3520
Dan Page
212-704-4447
SOURCE Consumer Healthcare Products Association
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Related links:
http://www.fivemoms.com/
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Funderburk of CHPA,
+1-202-429-3520; or Dan Page, +1-212-704-4447, for CHPA
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