Did you know that one in 10 youth ages 12 through 17 has abused cough medicine to get high from its dextromethorphan ingredient, and one in 5 young adults has abused a prescription drug? Do you want to raise awareness of the dangers of prescription (Rx) drug abuse and over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse, and enter in a drawing for a free iPad? Then take part in the CADCA 50 Challenge.
Through the CADCA 50 Challenge, we are committing ourselves to getting Rx and OTC medicine abuse on the radar screen of families across the country. But we need your help to do it, so we’re asking you to host a town hall meeting, or another type of educational event about medicine abuse. Here are a few requirements for your event:
- It must address BOTH prescription drug abuse and over-the-counter cough medicine abuse.
- It must be held during the month of October, National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month.
- During your event, you must distribute the Preventing Teen Cough Medicine Abuse brochure, available in English and Spanish at: http://otcsafety.org/en/publications/.
As an added incentive, all those who register for the CADCA 50 Challenge are eligible to apply for CADCA’s Dose of Prevention (DOP) award. The DOP Award winner gets a free ride to CADCA’s 2013 National Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C.! Click here for more details about the Dose of Prevention award.
Please note: In order to qualify for the Dose of Prevention award, you must complete this Summary of My Event Form explaining what took place at your event by no later than November 19th, 2012.
Helpful Materials You Can Download:
- A new Grassroots Media Kit to help you promote your event
- A checklist to help plan your town hall meeting
- A video to show at your event, entitled "Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse in Your Community"
- Fact Sheets, Presentations and Brochures about medicine abuse
- Preventing Teen Cough Medicine Abuse: A Parent's Guide