The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an awareness campaign about preventing prescription drug abuse and addiction.

Concepts

drug abuse, drug addiction, drugs, prescription drugs, addiction, opioids

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Additional Tags

health

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Instructional Ideas

• Have class members complete the lesson in health or science, and then work on the extension activities in social studies and/or language arts
• Expand the awareness campaign to include multiple classes, clubs, or grades
• After learners engage in additional research on I-STOP, have them analyze the effectiveness of the law since its signing

Classroom Considerations

• Enhance the instructions for the awareness campaign to clarify expectations
• Requires access to the Internet and to PowerPoint
• Article is from 2012 and references a law from New York; see if learners can find more current or locally applicable legislation if they are not from New York
• The fifth lesson about painkiller addiction in a series of eight

Pros

• Connects the problem of substance abuse with the solution of effective legislation
• Focuses specifically on prescription drug availability, narrowing the concept to make it more accessible and approachable
• Addresses reading, writing, and speaking skills in a health and science lesson

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.1.a SL.6.2 SL.7.1.a SL.7.2 SL.8.1.a SL.8.2 SL.9-10.1.a SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.1.a SL.11-12.2