While educating young people on the realities of prescription drug abuse is important, research has shown that traditional fear-based anti-drug messaging is not particularly effective. The “What’s Your Side Effect?” approach is to package information on prescription drugs inside a broader message of hope and inspiration, recognizing that drug abuse often originates with emotional, social and psychological factors, not with a lack of information. By inspiring young people to think about their passions and the effect they are having on their community by pursuing those passions, we can redirect their focus and help promote a lifestyle that will reduce abuse risk factors.
