Addiction is Real, Inc.
Cause Area
- Advocacy & Human Rights
- Children & Youth
- Community
- Education & Literacy
Location
6209 Mid Rivers Mall Drive #310Saint Peters, MO 63304 United StatesWebsite:
http://www.addictionisreal.org
Organization Information
Mission Statement
Addiction is Real’s (AIR) mission is to educate parents/caregivers about drug prevention and early intervention, encouraging a more proactive approach to preventing substance use and addiction among their children. With an increase in Fentanyl deaths among area youth - there has never been a more important time for the programming AIR provides.
Description
Research shows that kids whose parents regularly talk to them about the dangers of drugs are 50% less likely to use them. Unfortunately, only 1 in 4 teens reports having these conversations. Through our engaging presentation and research-based curriculum, AIR empowers and educates parents to go home and start having these life-saving conversations with their kids. We provide age-appropriate guidelines and talking points for discussing the dangers of substance use and addiction with children in the following age groups: preschool, elementary, middle and/or high school. We explain how early substance use affects a teen’s developing brain and significantly increases their chances of addiction. We encourage parents to prepare and practice refusal skills with their teens and keep lines of communication open.
Addiction is Real trains parents to recognize signs of risky behavior to intervene sooner . We set up our Interactive Teen Bedroom Exhibit - a program we call Hidden in Plain View - containing over 70 "red flags" that should alert parents to the fact that this teen is using drugs and/or alcohol. Parents are encouraged to search the room and test their own knowledge. We then reveal all of the red flag items - allowing parents to examine them up close.