This document outlines a campaign to address prescription drug abuse among students at Otterbein University. It begins by providing background on the issue and research conducted. Key findings show that 32.1% of students have used prescription drugs not prescribed to them in the past year. The goal is to create a preventative campaign for freshmen and sophomores. Objectives include maintaining anti-abuse messaging and decreasing abuse rates. The campaign will target freshmen/sophomores, athletes, Greek life, campus organizations, RAs, and health students. Strategies include educational events, materials, and working with these groups. Media outlets on campus will help promote the campaign. Evaluation of the campaign's effectiveness will also be conducted.
5. Important Findings: Unintentional drug poisonings (over 90% of which involve prescription medications) are the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. At Otterbein, 32.1% of students used prescription pills not prescribed to them once a year. 4.3% said they took these drugs once a month while 4.9% said they took them once a week or more. 8.3% of those who participated in the Otterbein survey said they started using prescription drugs not prescribed to them in college while 11.9% said they started using them in high school.
6. Important Findings Continued: Students turn to alcohol or prescription drugs to relieve stress, improve mood or enhance performance. Few evidence-based, targeted programs or interventions have been developed for college students known to be at high risk for substance abuse or to have a substance use disorder. Programs that do exist and the ones being developed largely focus on alcohol use.
7.
8. Otterbein College strives to provide an open environment and works creatively to make sure students feel secure and knowledgeable among the face of drugs.
9. In todayâs society, the abuse of prescription drugs now exceeds the abuse of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy combined.
10. Many college age students are succumbing to prescription drugs to stay up late, keep up with the trends, or even to study.
11. Julie Saker and the other members of Student Conduct and Wellness along with the Nurses Association have researched and strategized opportunities to reach out to students that may be misinformed about the epidemic of prescription drugs.
12.
13.
14. Maintain a consistent anti-prescription drug abuse message on campus by holding at least two awareness events or extra-curricular informational sessions per semester.
15. Decrease the percentage of prescription drug abusers on campus from 32% to 22% by September, 2013.
16.
17. Freshman and Sophomore Students:Audience: Most likely to be influenced by campaign because college is a fresh start At a typical starting point for the abuse of prescription drugs Will be the future leaders of campus culture Strategy: Incorporate awareness programs into Freshman and sophomore learning experiences. Tactics: Work with FYE professors to develop PDA awareness programs Develop activities for orientation sessions dealing with prescription drug abuse Hold a PDA awareness week with mini events and activities throughout the week including a speaker Create educational materials for First Friday Festival table including Pill bottles Pamphlets with testimonies and facts Counseling information Fliers with campaign information and dates for upcoming events
25. Inform athletes, students, parents and the Westerville community about the dangers of prescription drug abuse during Otterbein University sporting events
28. Information sessions will be required for Otterbein athletes & will include facts, statistics, dangers and stories about prescription drug abuse.
29. Create educational materials to hand out during sporting events especially during big events like HomecomingAlign with different teams (football, basketball) to create a specific game to bring awareness to the issue Have information booth, t-shirts, pill bottles, etc. Work with WOBN to set up music Work with other campus organizations as sponsors (Otterbein360.com, PRSSA, OCF, etc) to get volunteers, the word out and donations
47. We will primarily use these audiences to help get the word out about the dangers of prescription drugs and the events that we put on.
48. These organizations will not only help us get the word out but they will also learn about the dangers of prescription drugs. These audiences will be very beneficial to our campaign.
71. Health and Nursing Professors and StudentsAudience: Related to their majors Educated on prescription drugs and their effects, make-up, uses They can help educate us Strategy: Inform students in collaboration with Otterbein health and nursing classes Tactics: Incorporate prescription drug abuse information into health and nursing classes on campus. Correspond with Health and Nursing professors to work out some kind of awareness message that can be done by a member of student affairs as a guest speaker or done by the professor in normal class time.
72.
73. Media organizations on campus are readily available to help get the word out about important causes
79. The Tan and Cardinal is full of active students that are willing to help out others by placing ads, timelines and even stories can be placed about prescription drugs.
81. Otterbein360 is based through the internet so itâs always accessible-also linked in through Facebook and Twitter so announcements can go straight to followers.
82. WOCC-TV helps students visibly see a way to help and reach out against abuse of RX drugs.
![Partners: ,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)