The NOPE Task Force is comprised of local law enforcement officials, members of the judicial system, addiction and parenting specialists, and most importantly, parents and family members who have lost loved ones to an accidental overdose or drug and alcohol related incidents.
The Narcotic Overdose Prevention & Education (NOPE) Task Force is a group of community leaders and concerned parents working to save lives through dramatic personal presentations about the deadly consequences of drug abuse combined with ongoing efforts to influence anti-drug legislation and the provision of vital information about where young people with a substance abuse problem-and their families-can go for help.
The cornerstone of NOPE'S Mission is the high impact multimedia presentation which is delivered to middle and high school students. The NOPE presentations are purposefully blunt and evoke powerful emotions. The response from students, parents and teachers has been very positive. Many students seek guidance after the presentation for themselves or to get help for their friends.
This contemporary student program aims to raise awareness among all members of a campus community. The content focuses on actual and significant risks associated with combining any and all commonly abused drugs. The presentation includes overdose intervention/prevention strategies and is intentionally tailored to include information about each university's unique efforts to mitigate the negative impact of alcohol and drug use on campus.
Drug prevention is a community issue. Each year new studies indicate the vastness of drug use in our schools. NOPE realizes the importance for Educators and Parents to understand the issues related to drug use in order to learn how to make a difference in their children's lives.
NOPE offers parents/caretakers, communities and universities an interactive presentations that informs participants about the reality our nation faces regarding substance abuse and overdose death along with suggestions and parenting strategies to combat the issues.
Lynn University, Boca Raton Florida, provides ongoing quantitative and qualitative research for NOPE programs to determine whether or not NOPE presentations actually change students' core attitudes, opinions, perceptions and behaviors relative to alcohol and other drug issues. We believe that measurable changes in these important variables may translate to less overdose deaths.
Treatment is costly and for many, unaffordable. Ultimately, NOPE's goal is to seek out and support the best treatment programs and provide assistance to adolescents and young adults seeking further help from them.
NOPE partners with local agencies within Chapter locations to offer group emotional support services to families who lost loved ones to drug related deaths. Groups meet once a month and are run by a mental health professional at no cost to group members.
Not nearly enough action is being taken at the state and federal levels to combat the proliferation of illegal drugs, and the illegal distribution of powerful prescription drugs. The NOPE Task Force brings its message to both public and private forums in order to focus attention on this epidemic that is killing our children, and to put a human face on the debate. The message is simple: kids cannot die from a drug overdose if they do not have access to drugs.
