Encountering Opioids
There are three main ways that teenagers are commonly exposed to opioids: at parties, after an injury, and encountering old pills sitting around at home. Understanding these possible scenarios is crucial to ensuring safety from opioids. With the help of 2nd Act (formerly known as the Improbable Players), a theatre group that educates the public about substance abuse, we’ve created several skits to depict these common scenarios where teenagers are likely to be exposed to opioids.
Parties & Social Events
First, encountering opioids at parties or social events. In this video, the teenagers are offered opioids in the form of a cough syrup. Because opioids are not limited to small white pills, teenagers often have trouble understanding what they’re taking.
Legal Prescriptions
Another common way that teens are exposed to opioids is through legal prescriptions written by a doctor intending to treat pain after surgery or pain from injuries like broken bones. In this video, you’ll see a typical scenario in which doctors prescribe opioids for common injuries like a broken arm.
Leftover Pills
Lastly, another common way that teens can get access to opioids is by taking pills that were originally prescribed for a family member. Often teens think that the drugs that they saw a family member take safely and that were prescribed by a doctor should be safe to take for fun. This false sense of security can have disastrous consequences.