Public service announcement contest open to sixth- to 12th-graders through Oct. 10
LAS VEGAS – Solutions Recovery is serving as a sponsor for a student public service announcement video contest organized by Gov. Brian Sandoval and Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. All students in grades six through 12 or youth involved with a community-based team in Nevada are eligible to enter the contest, which runs through Friday, Oct. 10.
The goal of the contest is to reduce prescription drug abuse rates, especially among teens, throughout Nevada. Videos can be submitted in three categories: 30 seconds for YouTube, 15 seconds for Instagram and 6.5 seconds for Vine. To enter, students will upload their completed videos to YouTube and submit an application that includes a link to the video and a release form on the contest website at http://nv-psa.com/submit-your-video. Students are encouraged to use the hashtag #StopNVRXAbuse when posing/sharing their videos.
First-, second- and third-place winners will be chosen in each of the categories and will be awarded $1,000 for first, $750 for second and $500 for third. First-place videos will also be featured on the websites for the Nevada Attorney General’s office and Solutions Recovery, and will be recognized by Sandoval in December.
“We want to get to the kids before they get to the drugs,” said Dave Marlon, founder and president of Solutions Recovery. “Solutions Recovery was built by people who struggled with addiction and are passionate about breaking the cycle. Education helps prevent addicts before they get started, and creative expression – such as this video PSA contest – is a great avenue to approach the subject and encourage kids to engage in the conversation regarding the truth about prescription drug use.”
The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s 2013 Monitoring the Future report stated the use of illicit drugs among middle and high school students is on the rise. The report stated 14.9 percent of eighth graders, 31.8 percent of 10th graders and 40.3 percent of 12th graders have used these drugs in the last year. Teens view prescription drugs as safer despite the fact they cause more than 200,000 emergency room visits each year.
Among youth ages 12 to 17, prescription drugs are the second most widely used behind marijuana. Prescription drugs are often easy for teens to get from their family’s medicine cabinets or friends. Nevadans consume about twice the national average of prescription painkillers.
Additional information has been sent to Nevada school principals and educators to encourage participation throughout the state.
“It is our collective responsibility to combat the prescription drug abuse epidemic haunting our communities,” Sandoval said in a release announcing the contest. “I am pleased to take part in this exciting competition that will encourage young adults to help educate their peers and inform parents and teachers of the dangers of substance abuse.”
The videos will be judged by a statewide panel including Sandoval, Masto, Dale Erquiaga, superintendent of public instruction with the Nevada Department of Education; Stacy Woodbury, executive director with the Nevada State Medical Association; and Marie Mortera, anchor at KSNV-TV, Channel 3 in Las Vegas.
In addition to Solutions Recovery, contest sponsors include Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, the Nevada Statewide Coalition Partnership and Nevada State Board of Pharmacy.
Solutions Recovery, Inc. was established by David Marlon in 2005 as a chemical dependency recovery program. Previously the vice president of Sierra Health Services Inc.’s Western region’s operations, Marlon originally created the company with the needs of business executives in mind, but Solutions Recovery soon found itself increasingly treating those executives’ children.
Today, Solutions Recovery is Southern Nevada’s premiere licensed residential treatment center. A 60-bed drug and alcohol treatment center, it provides detox, residential intensive outpatient and individual counseling services to patients suffering from chemical dependency. Plans are in the works to open 40 more beds within the next 12 months. Additionally, Solutions Recovery recently earned the gold seal of approval from The Joint Commission, an independent not-for-profit organization that accredits health care organizations throughout the United States
To provide a multi-faceted approach to addressing these issues, Solutions Recovery addresses the following afflictions: alcohol addiction; drug addiction; prescription drug addiction; chronic pain; and mental disorder, including anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, grief, problem gambling and sexual trauma. All programs are custom-tailored, and staff members are on hand 24 hours a day to ensure those who want to get help can receive it as soon as they’re ready; when they come in for treatment, they will see the same person with whom they spoke on the phone.
For more information on Solutions Recovery, visit solutions-recovery.com or call its 24-hour hotline at 855-708-6995.