As incidents of deaths due to overdose of drugs such as painkillers increase in numbers, the United States Government, need to find an effective way to reduce such cases. There has been an increase in the necessity to bring up more programs such as NOPE (Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education), which is among the very few prevention programs that targets the middle school and high school children across the country.
To mention the seriousness of the situation, statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that during 2013, more than 16,000 deaths had been reported due to prescription opioids, which is a 50 percent increase from 2010.
However, fundings remain a major issue to maintain such organizations. In 2011, fundings were slashed for the former Office of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, which used to address such drug over-dosage incidents. However, many such organizations such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (or DARE) have been highly criticized to be ineffective to deter drug use among children, according to a 2001 US Surgeon General report.
However, much to the delight of parents, new programs have managed to come up with efficient ways to tackle the challenge. According to Christopher Adzia, the program manager of an opioid-abuse prevention program at the Robert Crown Center for Health Education, their programs are much more focused towards the adolescent brain development and addiction on a brain level.
NOPE instructors have started to teach students to recognize the symptoms of drug overdoses and advise students to seek medical attention, as quick as possible for such cases. Children are also made aware that prescription drugs should never be used without doctor’s orders.
Christina Forsythe, a Downingtown School District Prevention specialist was happy to conclude that the first NOPE presentation at her high school has been a success. There had been a report of a 17 year old to die from drug overdose from the same area.