Prevention efforts are the first line of defense against risky or harmful substance abuse.

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES, January 18, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Research shows that ninety percent of Americans who have a substance use disorder started using drugs or alcohol before the age of 18. The earlier someone starts using substances, the greater their chances are of developing a substance use disorder.* Prevention efforts are the first line of defense against risky or harmful substance abuse.

In Alabama, the opioid crisis is a public health and economic crisis. Alabama is ranked #7 in the U.S. for the number of non-fatal opioid overdoses and Walker County is ranked as one of the highest counties in the country at #5.** Minors and adults are dying, and families are being devastated. This epidemic discriminates against no one. It affects all demographics, and every sector of our economy is affected from urban settings to isolated rural communities.

More than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills being trafficked in communities across the country now contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.*** This marks a dramatic increase in 2022 – from four out of ten to six out of ten – in the number of pills that can kill. It is important to educate Alabama youth, teens, and parents on how one becomes addicted to opioids, how to prevent becoming addicted, and what resources are available to provide hope and help.

To address these issues, the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/Children’s Trust Fund (ADCANP) has launched an Opioid Prevention Initiative. The Initiative includes PSAs, videos, web site, a social media component, digital ads, educational guides and posters, billboards, resources for help, and more. The website was created to be like a social media site to engage youth on their level. You can learn more about the Initiative at https://besmartdontstart.com/.

Sallye R. Longshore, Director of the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/ Children’s Trust Fund, states “Children are the invisible victims of the opioid epidemic. Not only does parental substance abuse often lead to the abuse and neglect of children, but abused and neglected children tend to grow up to be substance-dependent adults. Our kids need to learn to never take a pill that wasn’t prescribed directly to them. Never take a pill from a friend. Never take a pill bought on social media. Just one pill is dangerous, and one pill can kill.”

ADCANP awarded Fowler Davis 4 Change a grant to produce this Initiative. "We are honored to work with ADCANP on this very important project. Our goal is to provide prevention education and empower our youth to become better educated about the effects and dangers of opioid addiction," states Barbara Fowler, Co-Founder of Fowler Davis 4 Change, a (501(c)(3) nonprofit, whose vision is to change lives through visual storytelling to create Awareness, Empowerment, and Action.

Statistic Sources:
* https://drugfree.org/reports/adolescent-substance-use-americas-1-public-health-problem/#:~:text=90%25%20of%20Americans%20who%20meet,at%20age%2021%20or%20older.
** https://nemsis.org/opioid-overdose-tracker/
*** https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain

Learn More:
Be Smart Don’t Start. Opioids Ruins Lives. https://besmartdontstart.com/
Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/Children’s Trust Fund https://ctf.alabama.gov/
Fowler Davis 4 Change https://www.fowlerdavis4change.org/

Barbara Fowler
Fowler Davis 4 Change
+1 205-907-4707
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