Have you ever met a drug dealer who was required to provide disclosures to his “customers” about the consequences of using drugs?
That’s the concept behind Said No Drug Dealer Ever, a creative PSA by Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of opioid misuse – and how one bad decision could lead to a lifetime of negative consequences.
This short video also provides real information about the serious effects of addiction. Opioid addiction is a public health epidemic in Middlesex County and across the state. In 2015, there were an estimated 1,526 deaths due to opioid-related overdoses.* To put that in perspective, there are approximately 350 deaths a year from motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts.
This project was funded through a generous contribution from the City of Lowell and State Sen. Eileen Donoghue.
Credits: Thank you to Director/Producer Joe Sousa, Somerville Community Access Television, actor Grant Joseph, actor Chris Johnson, Somerville High School, Lowell High School, Boston College professor Matt Sienkiewicz, and production crew members Nick Kolinsky, Grant LaCouture, and Rob Carlson.
*Mass Department of Public Health: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/quality/drugcontrol/county-level-pmp/overdose-deaths-by-county-including-map-may-2016.pdf
- Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse
Substance Abuse Helpline: (800) 327-5050
http://helpline-online.com - Stop Addiction in its Tracks
www.mass.gov/stopaddiction - FA: Families Anonymous
Telephone: (800) 736-9805
www.familiesanonymous.org - Learn 2 Cope
4 Court Street, Suite 110 | Taunton, MA 02780
Telephone: (508) 738-5148
http://learn2cope.org/ - Lowell House Inc.
555 Merrimack Street | Lowell, MA 01854
Telephone: (978) 459-8656
http://lowellhouseinc.org - Middlesex Recovery
20 Tower Office Park | Woburn, MA 01801
Telephone: (781) 305-3300
www.middlesexrecovery.com - Wicked Sober
Telephone: (855) 953-7627
http://wickedsober.com/ - Greater Lowell Health Alliance
Lowell General Hospital | 2nd Floor, Saints Campus | 1 Hospital Drive, Lowell MA 01852
Telephone: (978) 934-8368
http://www.greaterlowellhealthalliance.org/ - Lahey Behavioral Health
Lowell Area: (978) 455-3397 / (800) 830-5177
http://www.nebhealth.org/
Here is a list of resources for parents, guardians, and educators for talking to children about school violence:
- After the Injury – Website for families with injured children sponsored by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Children and Trauma
- Health Care Toolbox
- Helping Children Cope With Frightening News
- What to Say to Children to Ease their Stress
- Ippen, Chandra Gosh, Once I Was Very Scared, Piplo Productions, 2017 – Children’s book for ages 3+
Talking About School Shootings
- 4 things parents must do for children after Uvalde — and every school shooting
- Resources for Educators, Families to Discuss School Shootings
Talking About Trauma
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: After a Crisis – Helping Young Children Heal
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: For Teens – Coping after Mass Violence
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Guiding Adults in Talking to Children about Death and Attending Services
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief – Tips for Caregivers
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Helping Your after Community Trauma – Tips for Educators
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Talking to Children about the Shooting
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Tips for Parents on Media Coverage
Talking to Children
- Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
- Talking with Your Children about Traumatic Events
Talking to Teens
Teen Dating A to Generation Z: A Guide to Going Out, Breaking Up and Everything in Between is a series of videos designed to better understand teen dating in a modern world.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. created this series as a resource for students, educators and school staff. Throughout the series you will hear from teens themselves as dating issues such as controlling behaviors, media influences, sexting, active bystanding, and breaking up are discussed.
The videos are intended to debunk myths about dating abuse and help teens find the courage to speak up for each other, seek help if they are in an abusive relationship, understand the consequences of sexting, and be confident while navigating the complicated world of dating.
The videos can be shown together or separately to be incorporated into specific lessons or curriculums.
This video series was made possible thanks to a generous contribution from Proskauer Rose LLP.
Visit MPY’s Prevention section for additional resources on teen dating, domestic violence and healthy relationships.
Video Credits: Thank you to our Producer/Director Joseph C. Sousa, Editor Chad Ervin, Producer Vera Ventura, Casey Corcoran, Somerville Community Access Television, Somerville High School, Melrose Alliance Against Violence, Melrose High School, Shawsheen Valley Regional Technical High School, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.