AG unveils program on dangers of opioids

FORT SMITH — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge introduced a program at Southside High School on Tuesday aimed at helping students understand the dangers of opioids and how to prevent abuse.

Rutledge was on hand to launch a program called Prescription For Life and observe students taking the 30- minute course, which was followed by a post- assessment survey to measure changes in students’ attitudes and behaviors, according to a news release.

Rutledge said Arkansas is the first state in the nation to launch such a program.

“It is my goal that it will become a model for other states to adopt,” she said in a news release. “I know that Fort Smith Southside will not regret bringing this curriculum to their classroom.”

Rutledge is scheduled to present the program today at Jonesboro High School. Prescription For Life is expected to be introduced to other schools in the coming weeks, the release said.

The digital course is designed to expose high school students to skills and knowledge to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription drugs, according to the release. The course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control’s National Health Education Standards and state academic standards.

The self- paced modular course uses videos, animations, simulations and interactivity to deliver the self- guided learning experience, the release said. The course demonstrates the effect of drug misuse on students’ physical and mental health, relationships and future goals.

Through scenario- based exercises, the course helps students practice how to support other students in their choices on the safe use of prescription drugs.

The release said educators from the attorney general’s office are available to conduct teacher in- service training in person and through webcasts and to give presentations to parent and community groups on how to talk to young people about the risks associated with opioid use and how to recognize signs of drug abuse.