The Massapequa’s are currently reporting the highest overdoses and heroin arrests in Nassau County so Massapequa Takes Action Coalition (MTAC) has announced a new ad campaign to help prevent youth and young adult access to prescription drugs and opioids. Founded in 1997, the coalition works proactively in the Massapequas to prevent and reduce substance misuse and provide families with resources, education, and activities that promote safety, health and wellness.
The MTA Coalition released a 30 second public service announcement (PSA) highlighting key messages to how parents can influence a teen’s decisions to misuse drugs. With prescription drugs linked to the opioid heroin crisis, the PSA highlights how early exposure to these and other drugs can make teens more susceptible to future drug use like heroin. In addition, as most teens and young adults who misuse medications access them from friends and family, parents are featured as a key influence in the prevention of prescription drug misuse.
The MTA Coalition recommends parents start the conversation, talk early and often about drug misuse, set expectations and supervise our medicine cabinets. “Supervising our medicine cabinets is so important in the prevention of opioid misuse as 71% of young adults in the Massapequas who misuse or abuse prescription drugs accessed their drugs from family or friends (*Young Adult Survey (MTAC 2016),” stated Cathy Samuels, MTAC’s new Grant Coordinator. “I look forward to meeting parents and residents in the Massapequas as we work together to make a difference in the lives of teens and young adults,” added Samuels.
MTAC’s new PSA will be featured in the Seaford Movie Theatre beginning Friday, October 20, 2017 as well as on Optimum (Cablevision) and Altice (Verizon FIOS 1). The campaign also encourages parents and residents to Get Super Tips at mtacoalition.com. In the coming months, the campaign will expand its outreach and include social marketing media messages as well as prevention education outreach to further the prevention initiative.