Will the new drug “iso” prove deadlier than heroin and fentanyl? Can drug education stop the spread of this drug? Some dedicated groups are certain it can.

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, August 20, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Shocked by a surge in drug death statistics during COVID-19, a coalition of governmental and nonprofit drug prevention organizations was mobilized this week in a virtual call to action to step up their drug education outreach in metropolitan Washington, DC.

“Now more than ever we need to put more attention and more resources into reaching our youth early on with vital educational data to help them to make better choices,” explained Ms. Thalia Ghiglia, faith liaison for the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. She further stressed, “Parents also need to know the truth about these recent trends and the world we live in.”

A recently released report by the Brookings Institution warned, “As the United States—and the world—reels from the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemic of opioid addiction continues to ravage the country. It has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, devastated families and communities, and exposed critical weaknesses in U.S. drug policy as well as in health and welfare systems for our low-income population.”

To compound things, there is a deadly new synthetic opioid hitting the streets: “iso” (isotonitazene). Perhaps more potent than the synthetic opioid fentanyl, “iso” is causing overdose deaths at a rate estimated at 40 to 50 per month. “Iso” is said to be 100 times more powerful than morphine and is a major health concern.

The US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division, noting that “iso” has been reported in Canada, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Sweden and the US, has placed “iso” on their list of Schedule I controlled substances.

But Ms. Ghiglia warned that, “While we are consumed with the details of drug production, chemical compounds, statistics, trends, countries involved, and we seek to curb the problem with legislative policy, there is one aspect that has been severely neglected. It is not possible for everyone in the United States to read all the reports and digest all the data. The message of education has almost disappeared. We need to constantly educate our youth about drugs much the same as we teach them not to just run out into the street, so they can see the dangers and make their own choices to remain drug-free.”

Ms. Ghiglia concluded that we need to expand programs that provide comprehensive drug education materials to the community for free, like the Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s “Truth About Drugs” booklet series, public service announcements and video documentaries on a wide range of drugs including synthetics. (www.drugfreeworld.org)

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free.

Through a worldwide network of volunteers, 50 million drug prevention booklets have been distributed and tens of thousands of drug awareness events have been held in some 180 countries. The Foundation’s “Truth About Drugs” public service announcements have been aired on more than 500 television stations. Supported by the Church of Scientology internationally, the materials and activities in 20 languages have helped people around the world learn about the destructive side effects of drugs and thereby make the decision for themselves to not use them.

To learn more about Drug-Free World go to: www.drugfreeworld.org

For an example of how volunteers use the Drug-Free World materials see “Voices for Humanity” show on Michael DeLeon. https://www.scientology.tv/series/voices-for-humanity/michael-deleon.html

References:
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/about-us/about-the-foundation.html
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/real-life-stories.html
https://filtermag.org/isotonitezene/
https://www.comhs.org/about-us/newsroom/health-library/2020/06/09/iso-a-deadly-new-synthetic-opioid-has-hit-american-streets
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-iso-deadly-synthetic-opioid-american.html

Thalia Ghiglia
Drug Free World
+1 202-667-6404
email us here