Newswise — In just three months since the launch of the Five Moms Campaign, five moms from across the country have reached millions through their grassroots campaign to stop the dangerous trend of teens abusing cough medicines to get high. Now, as the beginning of a new school year nears—and some teens may be exposed to this type of substance abuse for the first time—these five moms are intensifying their efforts to alert parents to a dangerous problem that most don't even know exists.
"Substance-abuse experts agree that education is the key to preventing—and stopping—such abuse," said Linda A. Suydam, D.P.A., president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), which represents the leading makers of over-the-counter cough medicines and which created the Five Moms Campaign. "Parents have trusted us with the health of their families for over 100 years. We value that trust, and are alerting them to a problem that every family should know about: teens looking to abuse otherwise beneficial medications in order to get high."
At the heart of the Five Moms Campaign are five exceptional women, each dedicated to spreading the word about the dangers of cough medicine abuse across the country and in her own community. CHPA conducted a national search to find the Five Moms. They are:* Julie Bermant, a pediatric nurse practitioner from Massachusetts* Blaise Brooks, an accountant from California * Christy Crandell, the California mother of a former cough-medicine abuser* Becky Dyer, a D.A.R.E. officer and deputy sheriff from Kansas* Hilda Morales, an educator from Texas
Campaign serves as a wake-up call to parents
Recent studies have spotlighted cough medicine abuse as an alarming trend among young people, who intentionally take large amounts of cough medicine to get a "high" from the active ingredient dextromethorphan. Data collected by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America show that one in 10, or 2.4 million young people, reports having abused dextromethorphan-containing medicines to get high. "As a D.A.R.E. officer, I've heard some of the conversations that kids have in school about drugs," said Five Mom and Deputy Sheriff Becky Dyer. "Today's teens know so much more than their parents about drug abuse. It's critical for parents to get educated and talk to their kids."
The Five Moms Campaign has raised awareness largely by using the same tactics medicine abusers are using: spreading and promoting information on the Internet. And it's working: Visitors to FiveMoms.com have sent more than 90,000 e-mails to friends and family to warn them about cough medicine abuse. The Five Moms' goal is to get the word out to as many parents as possible that cough medicine abuse may be happening in their homes, and that the Internet is a driving force.
The centerpiece of the campaign is www.FiveMoms.com, a web site where parents can find information about cough medicine abuse, read blog entries from the Five Moms and occasional "special guest moms," and link to sites that have additional resources for fighting cough medicine abuse. FiveMoms.com is a place parents can go to learn how to spot the warning signs, as well as what to do if they suspect their child is abusing cough medicine. Visitors also can view a short video that showcases the problem in the voices of teens themselves.
"When I found out teens were abusing cough medicine in my community, I was shocked," said Five Mom Julie Bermant. "I'm a nurse practitioner who works in a school setting, so I talk with teens every day, and even I had no idea this was happening. Kids face so many pressures these days. It's up to us as parents, and as people who can positively influence the teens in our communities, to be alert to the problem and help educate and protect our children." Trend spreading through online communities
Students increasingly use the Internet and social networking sites such as My Space and Facebook to communicate with friends and find information. Unfortunately, the Internet also is heavily populated with web sites and online communities, including MySpace, YouTube, LiveJournal, and Facebook, that feature detailed instructions on how to abuse cough medicine, and in some instances, videos of kids experiencing the "high." Some web sites even sell the raw, unfinished form of the ingredient dextromethorphan—which can be deadly—to anyone with a credit card and a shipping address.
"The people who promote cough medicine abuse online are Internet predators, plain and simple," said Five Mom Blaise Brooks. "The teenagers who glorify this abuse on the Internet have no idea what danger they're putting themselves and others in. And the people selling raw dextromethorphan to our kids just don't care." The Five Moms Campaign is part of a long-term, multi-media effort by CHPA to educate parents and teens about cough medicine abuse. CHPA has partnered with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America on public service announcements and bilingual educational materials, and with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America on a toolkit for community leaders. CHPA also is working with D.A.R.E. America as well as the National Parent Teacher Association or PTA to reach kids and parents.
"Our member companies have worked tirelessly to educate parents about the potential for abuse," said CHPA President Suydam. "With the new school year approaching, we're hoping that parents, armed with this new information, include cough medicine abuse in their conversations with their teens about peer pressure and drugs."
Note: To learn more about the Five Moms Campaign, visit http://www.FiveMoms.com. All of CHPA's initiatives to stop cough medicine abuse by teens are summarized at http://www.StopMedicineAbuse.org.
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