PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Kristi Young
kyoung@claysopermemorialfund.org
(877) 729-2763 ext. 3
Clay Soper Memorial Fund Launches "Don't Play With Pills"
Campaign to Educate Youth on Prescription Drug Abuse
Winchester, MA – November 10, 2023 – The Clay Soper Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing teen accidental deaths due to prescription drug misuse, is excited to announce the launch of its new campaign, "Don't Play With Pills." This initiative continues the organization's mission to educate young people aged 16-25 about the lethal risks of misusing prescription pills.
"Today, the dangers of misusing prescription drugs go far beyond just recreational use,” urges Genny Soper, Executive Director of the Clay Soper Memorial Fund. “Raising awareness about how teenagers are approaching prescription drugs is critical to saving lives." The Clay Soper Memorial Fund recognizes the urgent need to address this growing public health crisis by empowering young people with the knowledge to make informed decisions. Many teens have grown up using anti-anxiety, antidepressants, and ADHD medications or know someone who does. They may have little fear or concern about misusing them because doctors prescribe them. This lack of fear can lead teenagers struggling with anxiety, stress, depression, and mental health issues to use prescription drugs to self-medicate or to party. They turn to the street or social media to purchase pills without realizing that the pills contain lethal substances like fentanyl.
In response to this surging crisis, the Clay Soper Memorial Fund continues to expand their programs to provide educators and community leaders with a unique resource for youth substance abuse prevention. Through the social media campaign "Don't Play with Pills" and the documentary program "If They Had Known," educators can start engaging in discussions with students and teach them about the lethal risks of misusing prescription pills. "If They Had Known" recounts the last night of Clay Soper's life. Clay was 19 and didn't know combining prescription drugs with alcohol could be fatal. The life-saving message comes from Clay's friends and peers. The takeaway is genuine and impactful. The documentary, combined with the Program Toolkit, ignites peer-to-peer discussions about the toxic dangers of abusing prescription pills. Educators and community leaders can visit claysopermemorialfund.org to learn how to bring the "Don't Play With Pills" campaign and the documentary program "If They Had Known" to their schools and communities. "If They Had Known" is also available for individual rental on Amazon.
Established in 2016, the Clay Soper Memorial Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, honors the memory of Clay Soper, a vibrant and talented young man who tragically lost his life due to a toxic mix of Xanax and alcohol. The organization's mission is to educate, engage, and empower today's youth with life-saving information about the risks of misusing and abusing prescription drugs and to help motivate cultural change among young people.
PO Box 102 Winchester MA 01890 claysopermemorialfund.org 877-729-CSMF (2763)
