A youth group facilitated by Rushford and radio station KC 101 are teaming up to help fight the opioid crisis.

SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) created a public service announcement urging adults to properly dispose of their unused and expired prescription medication so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

“Here’s what you can do to Change the Script,” the PSA says as a different student reads each new sentence. “If you have prescription drugs at home, lock them up.  If you have unused pills that you no longer need properly dispose of them.”

SADD is part of the Meriden Healthy Youth Coalition and consists of positive peer leaders from Meriden high schools.  The coalition meets regularly with advocacy groups, addiction specialists, and law enforcement officials to strategize ways to keep kids from using drugs or alcohol.

Students from Platt, Maloney and Wilcox Tech wrote and recorded two 30-second spots and one 60-second spot at KC 101’s Hamden studio with the help of afternoon personality Adam Rivers.  While the group was recently awarded a $5,000 mini grant under the states Change the Script Program for the initiative to help educate youth about the dangers of opioids, there was no charge by the radio station to record and edit the PSAs.

Krystle Blake, Rushford Manager of Prevention and Wellness, says anti-drug messages are always more powerful for teens when they come directly from their peers.

“We want to kids to buy-in and be vested in the message.  The kids can tell you what’s really going on in their schools,” Blake said.
The PSAs air on KC101, its sister station WELI, Pandora and at gas stations in Meriden, through AMP radio network.

Listen to the PSAs: