Addiction is Real, Inc.

Addiction is Real, Inc. (AIR) was formed in July 2015 by a group of concerned parents who have been personally affected by addiction. AIR exists to educate parents on the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and provide them with the prevention tactics needed to guide and engage their children through this rough and sensitive terrain. Since 2015 we have had the privelage of training tens of thousands of parents, professionals and community groups.

Research shows that teens whose caregivers talk to them early and often about the dangers of drug use are up to 50% less likely to try drugs. Unfortunately, only 1 in 4 youth report having these conversations with a trusted adult (SAMHSA). Furthermore, SAMHSA notes that 90% of addiction starts in the teenage years, and youth who use alcohol at or before age fourteen are over 4 times more likely to become addicted to alcohol, compared to those who wait until age 21.

Through our powerful presentations, educational handbooks and Hidden in Plain View exhibit, we empower and arm parents, professionals and community groups with the tools necessary to go home and have powerful discussions with their children. We educate them about the physical, emotional and environmental signs of substance use so that they can recognize these signs early and intervene sooner should their child start down the path of experimentation. We encourage a proactive approach to prevention and early intervention, and provide resources and advice for parents who believe their child may be experimenting or struggling with substance use.

Our educational program offers caretakers the following:
• A powerful presentation stressing the importance of talking with your kids early and often about the dangers of substance use. Our presentation and printed educational materials provide parents with age-appropriate topics of conversation around drugs and alcohol and give real-life examples of what these conversations should look like for kids in preschool, elementary, middle and high school. The presentation ends with a personal story from a mother who recently lost her son to a heroin overdose. She stresses that addiction does not discriminate and that the most dangerous three words a parent can say are, "Not my child."
• Education on how the teenage brain develops and why this is important when it comes to executive function, impulse control and judgment, as well as how the developing teenage brain is affected by early substance use and addiction.
• An up-close and personal tour of our teenage bedroom exhibit called "Hidden in Plain View," where adults search the room in an attempt to recognize over 70 red flags that might signal the teen is involved in risky activities/substance use. Items include everything from common household items to stash cans and drug paraphernalia.
• To continue educating parents during the pandemic, we created our complete program in a virtual format. Our newly released film, "Don't Wait," provides the same education as our in-person presentation and can be downloaded at www.addictionisreal.org/dont-wait. Our virtual Hidden in Plain View exhibit is free and can be explored online at hipv.addictionisreal.org.

MEASURABLE IMPACT:
Addiction is Real has provided hundreds of events for parents, community groups and professionals since 2015. Data collected through exit surveys shows that after attending an event:
• 99.3% of attendees felt better prepared to go home and begin discussions with their kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
• 99.3% felt more knowledgeable about what items may be red flags and indicate alcohol/drug use.
• 100% of attendees would recommend an Addiction is Real event to other parents/schools.