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In our fight to end youth and young adult nicotine addiction, we focus on the issues that matter most. We constantly monitor the latest topics and trends in commercial tobacco and substance use.

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At Truth Initiative, we envision a future free from nicotine addiction—a future that fosters healthier lives and a more resilient nation. We are the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting for all.

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Get the latest facts and analyses on the most important issues related to smoking, vaping, nicotine and substance use.

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By driving behavior and policy change, we prevent addiction, increase quitting, reduce nicotine dependence, and expand cessation support and access. All backed by rigorous research and evaluation.

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Join us in preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting for all. Learn about how you can help create a future free from nicotine addiction through activism, scholarships, studies, and more. Let’s work together.

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Prescription Drug Safety

To meet an urgent need to educate young people about the risks of prescription medication misuse and counterfeit drugs containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl, Truth Initiative joined forces with EVERFI on a digital course that has already reached over 1 million students. Since 2017, this course has educated students about the dangers of prescription medication misuse and now includes important new content addressing the dangers of counterfeit drugs. Renamed Prescription Drug Safety: Know the truth, this expanded, free digital curriculum aims to equip students with essential knowledge to protect themselves and others from the risks associated with both prescription drug misuse and fentanyl.

The curriculum is part of Truth Initiative’s effort to contribute its youth prevention and education expertise to combatting America’s opioid misuse epidemic. Using its proven-successful commercial tobacco prevention strategy – giving young people the facts and empowering them to make their own decisions – Truth Initiative developed the Emmy Award-winning The Truth About Opioids campaign, which was proven to increase knowledge about opioid misuse, decrease stigma, and increase the likelihood to seek out and share information in young people.

Explore the program

In Prescription Drug Safety: Know the truth students will learn to:

  • Recognize the facts, risks, and dangers of illegally made fentanyl and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl
  • Recognize the impact prescription drug misuse can have on their physical and mental health, relationships and communities, and future
  • Recognize how to support others in situations involving prescription drug misuse and overdose
  • And much more! Download Course Overview

Course Topics:

Lesson One
THE BASICS
Students become familiarized with the different types of prescription drugs, how they can affect the body, and some of their harmful side effects.
Lesson Two
THE SCIENCE
Students explore how substance use disorder can affect the brain and body, knowledge which can ultimately help students avoid developing a problem.
Lesson Three
PRESCRIPTIONS
Students learn about the proper usage, storage, and disposal of prescription drugs – important in preventing misuse and abuse of prescription drugs.
Lesson Four
SAFE USE
Students guide characters to make smart choices regarding prescription drug use, which is not always harmful but has the potential to be misused.
Lesson Five
REFUSAL SKILLS
Students learn about the risks of the recreational use of prescription drugs. They also learn strategies for effectively refusing to misuse prescription drugs through interactive scenarios.
Lesson Six
ADDICTION
Students learn that treatment works, and recovery can help people. Students also have an opportunity to check in with themselves about their own prescription drug use and determine if they need support.
Lesson Seven
SUPPORT
Students become familiar with how to support others in situations involving prescription drug misuse and overdose. They also get the opportunity to reflect on what stops and encourages them to reach out and help others in need.
Lesson Eight
FENTANYL
Students learn about the facts, risks, and dangers of counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl, which will help them better understand and safely navigate the growing fentanyl health crisis in the country.
Recommended Grade Levels:
8-12
Total Time
60-80
Minutes
Cost:
$0
PRESCRIPTION DRUG SAFETY: KNOW THE TRUTH is a newly updated course made available at no cost to students and teachers.

Additional Resources

made available through our teacher dashboard after signing up for the course

Download Course Overview

Prescription Drug Safety: Know the truth has been independently validated to meet ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Level III evidence

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