The battle against drugs is a never-ending undertaking, but for many campaigns, that means targeting the youth, a group that is highly susceptible to abusing and experimenting with drugs. Florida policymakers have taken this approach with the “Just Say No” campaign but with the deadly hold that the opioid epidemic and now the vaping trend has had in recent years, many agree that it is not enough.
The New Florida Drug Campaign to Better Battle Drug Abuse
Florida First Lady Casey Desantis among other state policymakers are leading the charge to launch a new Florida drug campaign called, “The Facts. Your Future.” This Florida anti-drug abuse campaign will focus more on the facts and education behind drugs and drug abuse as well as teaching children this information at a younger age.
Many fear that children are ignorant of the dangers and sometimes even fatal consequences of drug abuse. For example, a survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 66% of teenagers believed that e-cigarettes only contained flavoring.1 In reality, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine that can be highly addictive. There are also many short and long-term effects of vaping that children may be ignorant of. With vaping continuing to rise in popularity with teenagers, it is important to educate younger children about theses dangers before they try it.
“The Facts. Your Future.” will include school assemblies, video contests, and education for parents and teachers on how to talk to children about drugs. The hope is that with more knowledge of drugs and their dangers, children will be able to make informed choices and be more likely to avoid experimenting with drugs once they get older. Consequently, this should help decrease the number of adults who fall to addiction and require formal treatment to stop like with a Florida residential treatment center or outpatient program.
When launching the Florida drug campaign Casey Desantis explained, “It is imperative that students get the facts about drug abuse and how it can infiltrate and compromise every aspect of their lives. My hope is that students will hear the message and understand they have the power to educate and help one another and their community to fully grasp the hazards of substance abuse.”
As a South Florida behavioral healthcare center, we have seen the devastating effects of addiction and substance abuse on a person’s life. Many of our patients became addicted by experimenting with drugs as teenagers and eventually graduating to harder drugs and developing a full-blown substance abuse disorder.
At Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, also known as the Center for Alcohol & Drug Studies, we understand that addiction is more than just a bad habit and that once you start, it can be almost impossible to stop on your own. If you or someone you loved is looking to overcome their substance abuse problems, we want to help. Reach out to us today at 561-220-3981 to learn more.
Sources:
- NIH – Teens and E-cigarettes
