RESOURCES FOR PARENTS & GUARDIANS
"Every week, our country loses the equivalent of a high school classroom’s worth of kids to drug overdose deaths. Ninety percent of these deaths are attributable to opioids."
National School Board Association
The Drug Intervention Institute is deeply committed to preventing drug use/abuse of children of all ages. Open and honest communication with a parent or guardian is an indicator and positive prevention strategy, particularly for adolescent youth. Often parents are afraid to engage in conversation about drug trends with their children. The tools located here are designed to help parents better understand “today’s drugs” and provide tips for engaging with youth—particularly adolescents and young adults. No parent should ever have to experience losing a child to overdose.
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Things Parents can do NOW
https://skagitrising.org/keep-your-kids-safe/
Conversation Starters
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators/conversation-starters
More Downloadable Resources for Parents
https://facingfentanylnow.org/education/
Recovery Ready Families
https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/resources/recovery-ready-families/
Educating Young Children
Learn How to Use Naloxone
“From 2020 to 2024, 75% of overdose deaths among youth ages 10–19 involved illegally made fentanyl.”
Video Resources for Parents
About
Dr. Susan Margaret Murphy is the president of the Drug Intervention Institute headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia.
Susan is committed to reducing overdose deaths in West Virginia, Appalachia, and the Nation. She has over 25 years of administrative experience with non-profits and higher education. She is fiercely committed to public health and health education. Most recently, she helped develop and implement opioid prescription and medication safety programs aimed at educating all young people and the public about the dangers of prescription and illicit drug use/misuse. She is an advocate for evidence-based prevention programming, harm reduction services, and common-sense SUD response. Susan has written over 100 articles to date, with her most recent publications focusing on OTP treatment, harm reduction programming, medication safety, overdose response, and increasing the pipeline of healthcare professionals in Appalachia. She also serves on the boards of the West Virginia Rural Health Association and West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation and has received recognition for outstanding and innovative contributions in combatting our nation’s drug crisis including an award from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for her work in prevention education.
Dr. Norman J. Montalto is a West Virginia family medicine physician serving patients in the Charleston and Scott Depot areas.
A doctor of osteopathic medicine, he graduated from Des Moines University/University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences and has more than four decades of experience in family practice. His work focuses on primary and preventive care for patients of all ages, with an emphasis on accessible, community-based healthcare in West Virginia. He also specializes in addiction medicine, providing comprehensive treatment for individuals struggling with substance use disorders. His extensive experience allows him to address a wide range of health concerns while offering specialized support for addiction recovery.