Almost every day, as I walk from the McPherson Square Metro
Station in Northwest D.C., I hear a voice from the park across the street shouting
“Good Morning Y’all!” The words come
from a man whom I have dubbed “The Good Morning Man,” and rain or shine he sits
on a bench and calls them out to commuters hustling their way to work. Many of us wave at him, and his greeting
never fails to bring a smile to my face.
It’s as if this is his job—and he does it loyally and well. One day, a young woman walking ahead of me
waved at him, too, and I said to her that I call him “The Good Morning
Man.” She gasped and said that she does,
too! No real surprise, but it was like a
thread connected all three of us together, and I am sure that there are dozens,
if not hundreds, of others who start their day with a smile because this
gentleman is on the job in the early morning wishing us a happy day. Lucky us!
There are some things in life that are not so lucky,
though. One of them is when good things
are used for bad reasons. Specifically,
here, I am talking about prescription drugs.
How wonderful it is that prescription medications have been developed
that address a broad range of conditions and diseases, and how grateful I am
that I can keep my thyroid under control by taking one small tablet in the
morning. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention reports that at least half of all Americans take at least one
prescription drug, with one in six taking three or more medications.
Medications are taken to lower cholesterol, reduce the
threat of heart disease, lift people out of debilitating depressions, and keep
diabetes in check. They are critical to
many of us, but they also carry some risks—particularly when they are used
inappropriately. I am really sorry to
say that some of those who are taking prescription drugs inappropriately are
young people. A national survey published
in 2009 by SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration) reported that in 2008, more than 2.1
million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing prescription drugs. Many teens believe that they are a safe way
to get high, since they are not illegal and are so readily available. Many of these teens wouldn’t think of
touching illicit drugs, but they are risking their health and sometimes even
their lives by abusing or misusing prescription medications.
NEA HIN is very fortunate to have received an unrestricted
educational grant from Purdue
Pharma L.P., which we are using to create a set of standards-based curriculum
materials on prescription drug use, misuse, and abuse that can be used by
middle school teachers. As we develop
these materials, we are involving teachers and other educational professionals
in focus groups, and in the review process of the lesson plans to make sure we
are on target with what is needed and what will actually be used in the
classroom. We expect to launch the
materials at this year’s Representative Assembly in June, so keep your eyes
open for these important new resources.
If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please don’t
hesitate to leave a comment below.
I sincerely appreciate your interest in what we are doing
here at NEA HIN, and every day when I hear “Good Morning, Y’all,” I’ll think of
you, too.
Bette