Drugs4Real Featured In National Town Meeting Program
Online prevention program highlighted in SAMHSA sponsored event.
Inflexxion, Newton, MA (PRWEB) April 17, 2008
Drugs4Real, a free online prevention and education program, was highlighted at an April 2nd town-hall meeting co-sponsored by the federal government and Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) in Plymouth, MA. Drugs4Real. com teaches early adolescents about the influence of alcohol and other drugs and strengthens their commitment to avoid taking these substances. This meeting was a part of a nationwide series of town hall meetings focused on the problem of underage drinking and was broadcast live on WATD-FM 95.9.
The first town hall meeting in this series was held on March 24 in Riverton, Wyoming, and was attended by acting U. S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, Wyoming's first lady Nancy Freudenthal, and U. S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo). This series of meetings is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking, and state and local leaders.
The April 2nd meeting entitled, "Addressing Underage Drinking in America's Hometown" featured a tour of the Drugs4Real online program as well as a presentation on the efficacy of the program. Other speakers included: Captain Botieri of the Plymouth Police, K. Megan Skelding, M. A., clinical director of High Point, a mental health and substance abuse center, and Jennifer Pinto, director of the Plymouth Youth Development Collaborative.
"Participants at Plymouth's Town Hall Meeting gained new knowledge and skills on how to prevent and respond to underage drinking. The Drugs4Real. com presentation and K. Megan Skelding's speech sparked positive feedback from the audience. The forum was truly successful in starting a community-wide dialogue about the issues of underage drinking in Plymouth," said Linda Rudnick, Community Organizer, CMCA Plymouth.
Developed with grant funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Drugs4Real program covers four main content areas: drug basics, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. A fifth area, Media Watch, focuses on building media literacy and adolescents' awareness of the messages advertisers use to influence attitudes and perceptions about drugs. Drugs4Real was developed and tested by a team of research scientists, graphic designers, and interactive developers. More information can be obtained by contacting sschott @ inflexxion. com.
More information about the town hall meetings -- which will be held in all 50 states -- can be found online at www. stopalcoholabuse. gov or by calling 1-877-SAMHSA7.
About Inflexxion, Inc.
Inflexxion® Inc., (www. inflexxion. com), founded in 1989, creates behavioral health solutions for prevention, education, and disease management using engaging interactive technologies. Inflexxion develops clinically tested programs for health issues such as substance abuse and addiction, student health, pain management, and others. These innovative programs help health professionals and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies deliver quality care to diverse populations. Inflexxion is based in Newton, MA.
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