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

Here is a list of resources for parents, guardians, and educators for talking to children about school violence:

Talking About School Shootings

Talking About Trauma

Talking to Children

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.

Managing Mixed Media Messages

Abuse: Is that what this is?

Under (Digital) Pressure

It’s Not Me, It’s You: How to Break Up