Video: National Association of School Nurses Launches Educational Program to Address...

Video: National Association of School Nurses Launches Educational Program to
Address Surge of Prescription Drug Abuse by America's Youth

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) announced today "Smart
Moves, Smart Choices," a program that responds to the growing rate of
prescription drug abuse among middle and high school students nationwide. NASN
has teamed up with PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on the program, which features a news series and Web-
based resources targeted to school nurses, teachers and parents. "Smart Moves,
Smart Choices" educates teens about the serious risks of abusing prescription
medicines, such as those used legitimately to treat pain.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/orthomcneil/32722/

"As the onsite healthcare professionals in schools, school nurses are
preparing themselves with the right tools to help with the prevention of
prescription drug abuse," said Sandra Delack, RN, MEd, NCSN, NASN
President-Elect. "This program will provide schools and parents with facts in
a news-style format to motivate young people to make informed choices that
lead to healthy behaviors."
A national survey of more than 1,300 school nurses revealed that nearly 60
percent of school nurses indicated prescription drug abuse is a growing or
significant problem in their communities.(i) The nurses' observations are
consistent with research showing the explosion of prescription drug abuse
among youth:
-- Nearly one-quarter of 12th graders report that they have abused
prescription drugs by the time they graduate from high school(ii)
-- Every day, 2,500 youth age 12 to 17 abuse a prescription pain reliever
for the first time(iii)

"Smart Moves, Smart Choices" includes four videos and lesson plans
prepared for the.Medic, a health and wellness feature of MacNeil/Lehrer
Productions' the.News, a new national news service for middle and high school
students. Videos feature interviews with experts on drug abuse, scientists,
health practitioners, parents and recovering teens. The series kicks off with
"Myth Busters," a video dispelling the misinformation about prescription
drugs, including the beliefs that they are less dangerous than illegal drugs
and not addictive. Other topics include a look at the impact of abusing
prescription pain medications on the developing brain, the social impact of
addiction, and analyzing messages about drugs in popular culture. Each
downloadable video is accompanied by science and language arts curricula to
facilitate classroom activities and discussion. The program includes a
the.Medic video and guide for parents, who play an important role in
reinforcing their children's education about prescription medications.
"I think this program is a great way for teens to see and hear, firsthand,
the consequences of poor choices ... choices that they don't have to make,"
said Hayley Norwood, a recovering teen. "Since prescription drugs are given by
a doctor, I thought they were okay for me to take, even though they weren't
for me. What I didn't realize was the serious consequences I faced by taking
someone else's medications."
NASN will promote the program among its 14,000 members to reach teens and
their parents around the country. For more information on the program and to
view the videos and curricula, visit www.macneil-lehrer.com/thenews/themedic.
PriCara(TM), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
provided funding for the program.
About NASN
The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit specialty
nursing organization, organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing
school nurses exclusively. NASN has over 14,000 members and 51 affiliates,
including the District of Columbia and overseas. The mission of the NASN is
"to improve the health and educational success of children and youth by
developing and providing leadership to advance the school nursing practice."
To learn more about NASN, please visit us on the Web at www.nasn.org.
About MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
MacNeil Lehrer Productions produces The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, which
airs weeknights on more than 300 local PBS stations, as well as other programs
for public, commercial and cable television. MLP is currently developing
the.News, an in-school news broadcast and online site for high school and
middle school students. MLP will also produce complete broadcast coverage of
the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions for PBS. Other recent
television programs produced by MLP include By the People: Considering a 21st
Century Declaration of Citizenship; Free Speech an extended conversation
between Jim Lehrer and Ben Bradlee about Bradlee's career and current issues
facing journalism, the award-winning Do You Speak American?, Robert MacNeil's
cross country trek to discover why American's speak the way we do; The First
Lady: Public Expectations, Private Lives, a look at the expectations of the
role of the modern first lady; Debating Our Destiny, Jim Lehrer's look at
presidential and vice presidential debates with candidates; LadyBird, a
profile of LadyBird Johnson.
About PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a
major health care company in the United States dedicated to the needs of
primary care providers who serve a vital role on the frontline of medicine.
For more information about the company, please visit www.PriCara.com.
i. National Association of School Nurses Survey, 2006.
ii. Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J.
E. (2007). Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug
use: Overview of key findings, 2006. (NIH Publication No. 07-6202).
Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/overview2006.pdf.
iii. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of
Applied Studies. (October 18, 2007). The OAS Report: A Day in the
Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts. Rockville, MD.
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/youthFacts/youth.htm

Contact:
Jaime Murphy
National Association of School Nurses
(240) 247-1618

Michelle Derden
Ruder Finn, Inc.
(212) 715-1516

SOURCE NASN (National Association of School Nurses)